I Want Your Job: Fishmonger

'Fish is a passion in the blood'

Angela Harrison, 48, runs Pengellys Fishmongers in Looe, Cornwall, with her sister Jackie Provost. They've just been nominated in the 2007 Women of the Year Lunch (www.womenoftheyear.co.uk).

What do you actually do?

We buy fish directly off the local fishing boats, or by bidding for the previous night's catch in an electronic auction the next morning. After searching out the best fish, we prepare it by cleaning and filleting it, and maybe take some fish to a local smokehouse to be smoked. Then we sell it on to customers from our little shop in Looe.

What's a typical day like?

I'm up at 5.30am, and head down to the fish market by 6am, while discussing the day's orders with my sister. We pick through the best fish that's been landed that day, whether it's some really nice cod, or lemon sole, and decide what to buy. The bidding starts at 6.30am, and can go on until 10am on a busy day. We open our shop at 8.30am, when the fish arrives, and close at 4.30pm. It takes two hours to clean up and scrub everything down, and then I have to check my books and accounts for about 45 minutes each evening.

What do you love about it?

I get really excited when I see the freshest, best-looking fish on our counter – fish that's locally caught, shiny and slippery, with bright, bulbous eyes. It's a passion that's in my blood. For generations, all my family have worked in the fishing industry, and sometimes it's been a struggle for them. So when we got nominated for the Women of the Year award, it made me feel like we're up there for Cornwall and to represent the whole of the fishing industry.

What's not so great about it?

The real downside is that the hours are not good, so you're busy all the time trying to fit everything in. Also, perhaps that not many women would like working in an environment where they are surrounded by the smell of fish.

What skills do you need to do the job well?

You have to remember that you're working in what is still a man's environment, so you need to be easygoing but astute and firm, otherwise people will walk over you. You need to know about fish – how it's caught, whether by trawling or netting, or with a hook and line – and think about how the fishing techniques affect price and sustainability. All the fishing boats have different reputations in how they look after their fish, so you need to build relationships with the boats you like, so they'll give you first pick of their catch. You also need to know about how supply and demand affects the cost.

What advice would you give someone with their eye on your job?

I would advise anyone starting out to go somewhere where people are passionate about fish, and deal first-hand with the fishermen and the fish markets. Traceability is such a big thing – people like to know where their fish has come from. You could try to get an apprenticeship in a respected fishmonger shop or auction house, or go and work in a harbour where they're landing fish. The best way to learn about fish is through hands-on training.

What's the salary and career path like?

You might start out earning a wage of around £5.50-5.75 an hour. Jobs in Cornwall are often poorly paid. People are pleased to get something that pays year-round, because we're so reliant on tourism. In a wholesale factory, you might earn £8 an hour filleting and preparing fish for export. Once you've learnt as much as possible, you could eventually think about opening your own business.

For more information on careers in the fish industry, visit the Sea Fish Industry Authority at www.seafish.org; or Billingsgate Seafood Training School at www.seafoodtraining.org