How a Cornish harbour is using clean engine tech to future proof fishing

From Stories From Round Our Way by Round Our Way

July 31, 2025 · 24 min

About this episode

The episode discusses how Newlyn Harbour is adopting clean engine technology to adapt the fishing industry to climate change.

In this story we speak with Adrian Bartlett and Dave Stevens at Newlyn Harbour in Cornwall, home to the trawler the Crystal Sea for the past 47 years. Adrian began his fishing career in the mid-1980s, spending over three decades at sea before stepping ashore in 2011. Since then, he’s co-founded The Really Interesting Crab Company to promote the quality of local shellfish, helped launch the Crabstock Festival, and set up a pop-up restaurant to connect people with UK seafood. He also trains new entrants to the industry, sits as vice chair of Fishing into the Future, and consults for Ecomotus — a company developing retrofit hydrogen systems to reduce the environmental impact of diesel engines. Dave is the current chair of Fishing into the Future and skipper of the family-run Crystal Sea. He talks about the changes he’s seen at sea throughout his career, and how the Ecomotus system has made his boat more efficient — improving fuel economy and reducing pollution without having to overhaul existing equipment. Together they reflect on how the fishing industry is experiencing the effects of climate change firsthand, and how it’s beginning to adapt — from cleaner engine technology to…

People in this episode

Guests: Adrian Bartlett, Dave Stevens

Topics covered

clean engine technology
fishing industry
sustainability
climate change
local seafood

Keywords

Cornish harbour
clean engine tech
fishing
sustainability
environmental impact

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: The Really Interesting Crab Company, Fishing into the Future, Ecomotus

Books & works: Crystal Sea

Places: Newlyn Harbour, Cornwall, UK