A mission to fish without plastic.

Zero Plastics

Jof Hicks makes lobster pots from all natural materials and rows to fishing grounds in a 3 metre catamaran. He sells his catch locally, asking customers to pay a premium for lobster that has been caught without plastic and without carbon. This site is about his mission to fish without plastic and the research that is going on to find out how it’s working out.

Plastic & Carbon Free Fishing

Jof has always had an interest in the ocean and how the Scillonian islanders live with and from it. With the increasing global awareness of plastic pollution and emissions, he started to build pots and trial how he could make a living through the use of fishing gear made without plastic and the use of a human-powered boat.

The Research

In 2021, Jof approached the Isles of Scilly Inshore Fisheries and Conservation Authority to help with a research project that could test this fishing technique.

With funding from Defra’s Fishery Industry Science Partnership programme a two-year project was launched in May 2023 between Jof and the University of Plymouth.