Tom Lambourn, skipper-owner of My Lass PZ 291 – based out of Newlyn, Cornwall – talks to WF about his hopes for the fishing industry

Tom Lambourn is the skipper-owner of My Lass PZ 291, based out of Newlyn, Cornwall, and is also a brand ambassador for Xtratuf. Despite studying chemistry at university, he was always destined to follow his heart and become a commercial fisherman. He’s also keen to help bring more youth to an aging industry.

With his family heavily involved in the commercial fishing sector: his father a fisherman and his mother and her family owning the privately-owned W Stevenson & Sons fishing fleet, it was a natural progression for Lambourn. In the spring and summer months, onboard My Lass, he mainly fishes for Cornish lobster and spider crab. For the rest of the year, he crews on the 12-metre catamaran Lyonesse PZ 81 – fishing for Cornish sardines. He tells WF he’s also keen to promote the fishing industry as a livelihood for future generations and is a member of the Youth Board of the Cornish Fish Producers’ Organisation – a group of young, local fishers that has helped create a new fishing apprenticeship scheme.