WHEN Brighton was a poor village huddled beneath storm lashed cliffs, its main industry was fishing.

No one knows exactly when fishing started but it was certainly mentioned in the Domesday Book of 1086.

The industry started on the foreshore below the high water mark but this was a precarious place. The men started to move to the top of the cliff and the church of St Nicholas was established on a nearby hill.

The old town grew up and what is now The Lanes was originally the cottages of fishermen. But as the settlement began to expand there were constant arguments between the fishermen and those who made a living from the land

There were petitions to Parliament for an inquiry into exactly who ran the village and who should pay for its upkeep.

In 1579 a commission of four men was established to consider the matter and it asked the fishermen to put down their case in writing.

The resultant Book of Ancient Customs still exists today. It set up a series of customs and orders which were legally binding on both sides.

By this time Brighton had the largest fishing fleet on the south coast with 400 men and 80 boats. They caught huge quantities of fish with herring and mackerel prominent in the catches.

The fish was divided so that each family always had something to eat and some of the money raised by sales went to the church and paying for sea defences.

A market was established on the beach and when the seafront arches were built in 1864, it was moved to a group of them. The open air sales were a big attraction to tourists.

But there was concern over the hygiene and in 1960 the market was moved to Circus Street despite strong opposition.

Fishing declined as an industry as tourism grew and many men found better paid jobs in factories or on the railways.

There were also problems with boats from other areas, and indeed other countries, coming into Brighton waters and taking much of the catch.

It was also not easy to launch and pull in the boats which were on the beach. To supplement their income, many fishermen operated pleasure boats. The cry of Any More for the Skylark? became famous in the town.

The fishermen moved to the Marina where their numbers have kept up and some of the old surnames such as Leach and Mills have survived the passing of the years.

When the seafront arches were renovated 20 years ago, a fishing quarter was established complete with its own museum. It remains a popular attraction today and fish is also offered for sale.

Each year in May an open air service is held in the quarter to bless the nets and wish the fishermen well.

Fishing is still a perilous business and the men who undertake it are tough. But they have a proud tradition which they are anxious to keep and on a fine day there can be a few better places to be in Brighton than a fishing boat just off shore.