Skipper who champions Cornish sardines gets national award

Tom Lambourn, a 30-year-old skipper from Newlyn, Cornwall, has been named Fishing Hero of the Year at a national awards ceremony in London. He received the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) UK award at a gala dinner at Fishmongers’ Hall earlier this week, recognized for promoting the small-scale Cornish sardine fishery. Lambourn said in his acceptance speech that it was “brilliant to be part of a sustainable fishery.” After leaving the coastal town to study for a chemistry degree, he returned to captain his own sardine boat, the Lyonesse, running throughout the sardine season from July to April. The judges also cited his role in a decision by Paradise Park to feed penguins Cornish sardines instead of sprats.