We Are England S2023E10 - When The Boats Come In: What Happened Next

The oystermen of the River Fal estuary have been dredging in sailing boats for hundreds of years. But their traditional way of life has been knocked sideways by Brexit. Exports to France - where their catch of native oysters and queen scallops are popular - have been hit hard by new rules.

Les and Dan Angell are a father-and-son team from Falmouth who sail up and down the Carrick Roads channel six days a week, towing small dredges behind their boat. Life was tough enough already when in January 2021 they were forced to stop fishing and beach their boat for the reminder of the season, losing income of more than £300 a day.

Local shellfish merchant Martin Laity has bought their produce for years, selling it on to the same loyal customers in France that his family dealt with a century ago. All that changed in January 2021. Exports of shellfish ground to a halt and his business was left floundering.

This documentary follows Martin and his business partner Tom as they navigate the choppy waters of post-Brexit Britain, looking for new ways to generate income and trying desperately to keep the community of fishermen like Les and Dan afloat.

Almost a year on since the original programme aired on BBC1, We Are England returns to see if Martin's shellfish business is surviving with the continued implications of Brexit.