15 June 2006
The River Walks TV company with Charlie Dimmick filmed on Lancing beach (at the Shoreham end near Widewater), referred to as Shoreham-by-Sea, featured shrimping with Peter Talbot-Elsden (British Marine Life Study Society).

Is it a Prawn or a Shrimp?   Alas, there is no absolutely correct answer. In common usage the names are interchangeable, and there are lots of prawn-like or shrimp-like animals to confuse the novice rockpooler. Marine biologists will use the scientific names. However, the casual rockpooler wanting to put a name to what he finds can follow the terms used for British species only: The Prawn is transparent with long legs and is found amongst the weed in rock pools on the shore. There are several different species. In the south and west the species in the pools are called by the scientific name of Palaemon. The Shrimp is the sandy coloured crustacean that lives in the sandy shallows. It has short legs and buries itself in the sand. It is called by the scientific name of Crangon and is found all around the British coast. 27 May 2010 Ever such a lot, at least two pints of Brown Shrimps, Crangon crangon, in the shrimp-net off Widewater, but there was nothing else of interest in the net except for frequent flatfish fry and a handful of small Solenettes (Slipper Soles), Buglossidium luteum.  21 May 2010 My first shrimping outing of the year using my smaller three foot wide shrimp net on the medium tide on Lancing Beach (Widewater West) yielded a rather poor 30 or so Brown Shrimps, Crangon crangon, but not enough exhibits for Adur World Oceans Day 2010: a left-eyed flatfish* that was too large for the aquarium, only a very small Solenette (Slipper Sole), Buglossidium luteum, two South-clawed Hermit Crabs, Diogenes pugilator, one very small Vernal Crabs, Liocarcinus vernalis, and an even smaller tiny swimming crab Portumnus latipes was the total catch in an hour on a tide that had not receded enough.    *The flatfish was identified as a Turbot, Psetta maxima, measuring 180 mm (excluding the caudal fin) long and 80 mm wide (excluding fins) and weighing about 125 grams. June 2009   The Edible Seashore (River Cottage Handbook No. 5) by John Wright is published Book Review 3 June 2009 A Force 4 easterly Breeze prevented any serious shrimping on Southwick Beach as the waves rolled in. A quick ten minute push on the outgoing tide produced a medium-sized Lesser Weever, Echiichthys vipera, one swimming crab Portumnus latipes with "fleur-de lis" markings, five Brown Shrimps, Crangon crangon, and two flatfish (probably Plaice) fry.  British Intertidal Crabs 29 May 2009 Shrimping was possible after some poor weather. And the conditions were ideal off Lancing Beach (near the Church of the Good Shepherd) but the haul of Brown Shrimps, Crangon crangon, amount to about thirty all after the tide turned and with the incoming tide. Luckily (because the expedition was to get exhibits for Adur World Oceans Day 2009) the haul with my smaller U-shaped net including two medium-sized Lesser Weevers, Echiichthys vipera, amongst the weed so I had to be careful of the venomous fins, two adult Solenettes (Slipper Soles), Buglossidium luteum, one intact Vernal Crab Liocarcinus vernalis, half a dozen flatfish (probably Plaice) fry, one small Plaice, two South-clawed Hermit Crabs, Diogenes pugilator, one swimming crab Portumnus latipes, and a very young Greater Pipefish Syngnathus acus. A Painted Lady Butterfly fluttered around my head.  23 May 2009 The early evening shrimping expedition at Lancing (by Widewater) was exceptionally poor registering just half a dozen Brown Shrimps, Crangon crangon, with most of them too small and one large one escaped through the net meshing. Incidental captures were exiguous: three very young Greater Pipefish Syngnathus acus, three Solenettes (Slipper Soles), Buglossidium luteum,  two one-clawed Vernal Crabs Liocarcinus vernalis, half a dozen flatfish (probably Plaice) fry, one South-clawed Hermit Crab, Diogenes pugilator, and a Lesser Spotted Dogfish Scyliorhinus canicula purse with an embryo. There was a much darker brown different pipefish that escaped the net. This could have been either a juvenile Worm Pipefish Nerophis lumbriciformis, or even a juvenile Snake Pipefish Entelurus aequoreus. A clump of the black grape-like Cuttlefish eggs were discovered washed up on the strandline.  Tide height: 0.84 metres    Brown Shrimp, Crangon crangon,  photographed whilst snorkelling off Stonycove - a tiny little village near Kinsale, County Cork.    Photograph by Joe Bater on flickr 12 May 2008 Even more perfect conditions, a bit cooler and no breeze and only the occasional rogue swell from a passing ship, my Brown Shrimp, Crangon crangon, haul at Southwick Beach was about two pints.Other captures in the shrimp nets were a few shrimp length Lesser Weever, Echiichthys vipera, a few small to full sized Solenettes (Slipper Soles), Buglossidium luteum, one large fully grown 5-Bearded Rockling, Ciliata mustela, (which looked very much like a 3-Bearded Rockling, Gaidropsarus vulgaris, until the beards were counted), one juvenile Dragonet, Callionymus lyra, a few Vernal Crabs, Liocarcinus vernalis, one damaged (missing a claw) Masked Crab, Corystes cassivelaunus, about a dozen Shore Crabs, Carcinus maenas, with a few netted eating shrimps, a few very small swimming crabs Portumnus latipes, one South-clawed Hermit Crab, Diogenes pugilator, in a Sting Winkle shell, and a colourful Little Cuttle Sepiola.  BMLSS Crabs of the Seashore 11 May 2008   Perfect shrimping conditions were encountered on the morning low tide at Southwick Beach (1.2 metres at 10:40 am) on a sunny hazy day with an air temperature of 22.1 °C and a gentle swell. The haul included plentiful Brown Shrimps, Crangon crangon, with all three shrimpers getting more than enough for a meal each in under an hour, one fully grown Lesser Weever, Echiichthys vipera, and a few small ones, a few small Solenettes (Slipper Soles), Buglossidium luteum, a few Vernal Crabs, Liocarcinus vernalis, one damaged (missing a claw) Masked Crab, Corystes cassivelaunus,and two green Shore Crabs, Carcinus maenas.     Three  Photographs by John Wright Edible Seashore (River Cottage Handbook No. 5) 5 May 2008 On Bank Holiday Monday, it felt warm for the first time this year as the temperature reached 20.0 °C at midday. The wind was from the south-east at 13 mph (Force 2) on the low tide in the late afternoon.  Shoreham Weather My first shrimping expedition of the year at Lancing produced a moderate amount of Brown Shrimps, Crangon crangon, plus one Lesser Weever, Echiichthys vipera, one small Solenette (Slipper Sole), Buglossidium luteum, two Vernal Crabs, Liocarcinus vernalis, and South-clawed Hermit Crabs, Diogenes pugilator, amongst more weed than is usual at the beginning of May. The Force 2  produced an occasional wave with a breaking whitecap. The main problem (east of Lancing Sailing Club) was a patch of soft sand (almost certainly caused by bait digging).  Sussex Marine Life 27 April 2008 Early morning shrimping was poor with just 20 Brown Shrimps, Crangon crangon. Report by Peter Talbot-Elsden 8 June 2007 Whilst shrimping off Southwick, I caught two Thornback Rays, Raja clavata, in the large push-net. The largest of the rays was estimated at over 20 cm across the wings.  Report by Peter Talbot-Elsden 4 June 2007 Shrimping at Southwick produced one Sole. Solea solea, six small Solenettes (Slipper Soles), two types of Hermit Crabs, and sandy coloured crabs as well. Report by Peter Talbot-Elsden BMLSS Hermit Crabs 24 May 2007 A shrimping expedition to Lancing Beach (just to the west of Lancing Sailing Club) on a low neap 1.9 metre tide revealed the sandy shallows and a clear sea on a calm day and the haul in 40 minutes or so using my small 60 cm push-net was about 100 Brown Shrimps Crangon crangon, small flatfish fry, one small Plaice, occasional small Solenettes (Slipper Soles) and one second year Sole. Solea solea, a handful of South-clawed Hermit Crabs, Diogenes pugilator, a few very small Common Hermit Crabs, Pagurus bernhardus  in Grey Topshells, one Vernal Crab, Liocarcinus vernalis, and a few of the swimming crabs Portumnus latipes. BMLSS Crabs 16 March 2007   My first shrimping (using my 2 foot wide folding net) expedition of 2007 took me to a breezy (Force 4) Shoreham Beach (just west of Weald Dyke) and half an hour push-netting brought me about twenty Brown Shrimps, one Shore Prawn, a small Plaice and three Vernal Crabs, Liocarcinus vernalis. BMLSS Crabs of the Seashore 16 June 2006 The shrimp haul at Southwick included a Little Cuttle and a 5-Bearded Rockling, Ciliata mustela. Report by Peter Talbot-Elsden 31 May 2006 One day later, the junior shrimp net was repaired with a bolt and wing-nut and there were over a hundred Brown Shrimps off Lancing beach (east Widewater), a handful of South-clawed Hermit Crabs, Diogenes pugilator and a colourful Little Cuttle Sepiola, a small Solenette and flatfish fry. Intertidal 2006 BMLSS Prawns & Shrimps 30 May 2006 My junior (metre wide) shrimp net broke under the weight of loose mixed seaweed off Lancing beach (east Widewater) and there were just two Brown Shrimps and a South-clawed Hermit Crab, Diogenes pugilator, in a Netted Dogwhelk shell.   5 March 2006 A shrimping expedition (push-net) to the sandy shallows of Southwick beach produced four small Sand-eels, Ammodytes tobianus, but these were so small that most of these elongate fish would have escaped through the netting. Small fish fry were caught in the net as well.  Report by Peter Talbot-Elsden   Tim Hoy with a home made shrimp-net in Ireland 2004 2 May 2005 A Solenette, Buglossidium luteum, and a Plaice in the shrimp push-net off Southwick, but there were only ten Brown Shrimps on the low neaps. This is a very poor shrimping return for April or May. However, these two fish have not been knowing caught before whilst shrimping or rockpooling, so this was a successful outing. Loaded Shrimping Bikes at Southwick beach Pashley-Hercules hybrid and a Gundle     INTEREXTRADING  FOR SHRIMP NETS AND OTHER FISHING EQUIPMENT SHRIMP NET PAGE 19 June 2003 SHRIMPING FOR FOOD AND FUN Local shrimper Peter Talbot-Elsden, from Southwick (Sussex), has produced a small booklet called “Shrimping for Food and Fun” about catching the brown shrimp around the coasts of Britain. The shrimps are caught in nets and the book features the various methods, firstly the push-netting seen over the sand in shallow water in spring off the Sussex coast. The famous Morecambe Bay shrimps were originally captured by cart shanker shrimping with a horse and cart in deeper water off the Lancashire coast, later replaced by a tractor. At Formby, they experimented with amphibious vehicles after World War II. Nowadays, most commercial shrimping on the east coast around King’s Lynn trawls from small boats using a net off the stern. Shrimps are often cooked on board. The 28 page book contains 40 photographs of shrimping through the ages. It is available through Bookworms of Shoreham and other booksellers and museums at £3.50.  The booklet is also available through the British Marine Life Study Society, but at £4 including postage and packing.  Peter Talbot-Elsden manned the shrimp display at Adur World Oceans Day. To obtain your Shrimping Book, please telephone Peter Talbot-Elsden @ 01273 591846 Brown Shrimp on Wikipedia Shrimping on the Thames (by Charles Dickens) Shorewatch Project EMail Glaucus@hotmail.com  All messages will receive a reply.    Shorewatch Project

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