why black fish is important

Fishing in the UK conjures up a very White, male, older generation persona; it certainly felt inaccessible to me, even though I really wanted to fish. At Black Fish, we are working hard to foster our connection with nature while learning valuable skills like fishing within a safe and nourishing community.

Many of us might feel we have lost touch with the water and the sea. There is a significant fear of water within our community, and a high proportion of non-swimmers (estimated to be approximately 80%) highlights this alarming statistic. There are many reasons for this, but most poignantly, the African slave trade and colonization.

Colonialism meant that many people were displaced from their homes and settled in large, built-up cities, leading to a lack of available nature and the trauma of displacement. As a result, some may also feel a disconnect and a lack of ancestral knowledge being passed down.

Even though I was born here in the UK, I don't feel a strong connection to the land. I have often felt like I don’t belong here, but I’m not sure where I do belong. Part of Black Fish’s mission is to remind myself and others that this is, in fact, our home and our land. We can connect with it, allow our feet to feel the ground we walk on, and slowly (if we want to) grow roots.