Jon Tonks, On What It Means to Be a Small-Scale Fisher
In the book “A Fish Called Julie”, photographer Jon Tonks documented the fishing communities of Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly, UK, immersing himself for eighteen months in their daily rituals and inherited traditions.
Jon Tonks’ photographs focus on weathered faces and the physical demands of the job, while still capturing the quiet poetry of a life lived in tune with natural rhythms. One day, while inspecting the catch, he came across a fish labelled simply ‘Julie’. For him, that single name embodied the intimacy of the local sea-to-table connection, in sharp contrast with the anonymity, disconnection, and environmental toll of industrial fishing.
David, at Newlyn Harbour after fishing for cuttlefish © Jon Tonks
Portloe Harbour © Jon Tonks
Jof and son, Inigo, holding up hand made withy pots, Isles of Scilly © Jon Tonks
David, hauling in the catch, Newlyn Harbour © Jon Tonks
“Being a small-scale fisher in Cornwall is a metaphor for how to live your life. When the weather tells you not to fish, listen. Allow the seas to replenish. Sustainable fishing means something different to everyone, but real sustainability teaches us not to be greedy, to give nature a chance and leave enough for the next generation.” Jon Tonks
A flying lobster, being returned, Isles of Scilly © Jon Tonks
David and Vinnie, pulling in nets offshore, Newlyn © Jon Tonks
Offshore, St Agnes, Isles of Scilly © Jon Tonks
The exhibition “A Fish Called Julie” is on view at the Martin Parr Foundation until June 22nd.
