Single-handed, gill-net caught by Alex Kokoc aboard the Weni. Supplying ASIAD Porthcawl — Welsh Fine Dining Restaurant of the Year 2023 — and the Chelsea Fishmonger, London, alongside local homes and wholesale buyers across South Wales, Cardiff and beyond.
“Often I have fish available from the harbour that’s just caught. The only way to get any better is to get your own boat and catch them yourselves.”
Weekly or fortnightly catch updates from Alex. Need fish urgently? Contact with a few days’ notice.
The area Alex fishes and the gear he uses means the catch is Bass, Dover Sole and skate — in that order.
“If you would like to order any of these species, please let me know.”
Wholesale catches reach award-winning kitchens and trusted fishmongers.
Alex is an avid home cook — ask for custom prep and cooking advice with any order.
Quality is paramount. Trips are short — generally around six hours — and every fish landed has to be in the best possible condition. The chain below is how that condition is protected from the moment a fish leaves the water.
Nets are fished for short periods around slack water — roughly an hour and a half — so fish are alive and unstressed when lifted.
Fish go straight from the net into a 50/50 slush of ice and seawater, dropping core temperature within minutes of leaving the water.
Industry-standard insulated bins hold the slush at temperature for the rest of the trip — typically around six hours in total.
On landing, fish move into a shore-side cold room served by a state-of-the-art ice machine to preserve appearance, texture and shelf life.
Direct from the harbour, into Cardiff on delivery runs, or out to wholesale, catering and restaurant customers — landed in the best possible condition a few hours after capture.
Short trips, focused on quality over volume — landed back in port within a few hours of capture.
Alex can also bleed and kill fish using the traditional Iki Jime method on request, for the highest end of the chef trade.
The vessel holds a 5-star Local Authority food hygiene rating, audited against UK standards.
Gill net is a very selective method of fishing. Every net on board the Weni is made by Alex himself — sized, set and lifted to harvest mature, marketable fish and leave the rest of the stock alone.
Alex makes his own gill nets through the winter so they are built to his exact specification and quality.
The mesh size is matched to a target market size of fish — undersize and juvenile fish swim straight through and continue to grow.
Nets are set for short periods around the slack water of the tide — roughly an hour and a half — keeping fish alive and in peak condition.
Any undersize or un-targeted species are returned to the sea alive, keeping by-catch mortality to a very low percentage.
The areas fished comprise of sand and mud, subject to movement by the daily tides and storms — a light gill net makes no impact on the sea bed or environment.
Occasionally during the summer Alex will also fish with rod and line, and with long lines and lures.
Alex fishes approximately two weeks of every month during the spring tides, tide and weather permitting (wind under 20 knots).
Operating within current Welsh fisheries rules, with regular inspections.
Weni carries a tracker monitored 24/7 by Welsh Government Fisheries.
Daily limits on the amount of fish landed, plus area and season restrictions.
Vessel audited to a 5-star Local Authority food hygiene rating.
Alex has run his 7-metre vessel, the Weni, single-handed since 2020.
His territory covers the Bristol Channel between Worms Head, the Devon coast, and Aberthaw — with the vast majority of fishing concentrated on the sandbanks off Porthcawl: the Nash, Hugo, and the Scarweather.
Alex hand-makes his own gill nets during the winter to ensure flawless quality. The specific mesh size allows juvenile stocks and undersized fish to swim completely free.
Nets are fished for short, 1.5-hour sets strictly around the slack water period of the tide, so any un-targeted species are returned alive — resulting in an exceptionally low by-catch mortality rate.
These light nets make zero contact with the sea floor, preserving the shifting sand and mud environments completely.
Monitored 24/7 by Welsh Government fisheries via satellite tracking, with full alignment to Welsh fisheries legislation.
Porthcawl is a strict tidal harbour. The Weni can only launch or return within a 3-hour window on either side of high water. Alex targets the bigger spring tides when Bass feed actively, meaning he can only fish approximately 2 weeks out of every month, provided wind speeds are safely under 20 knots.
±3 hrs
~2 wks / month
< 20 knots
Tidal window around high water
Secure a Catch
Often Alex has fish available from the harbour that’s just been caught. “The only way to get any better is to get your own boat and catch them yourselves.” Drop a message to check what’s landing today.
Because our catch depends entirely on the sea, the best way to get fish is straight from the harbour as we land. Join our notification list to receive an update every 1 to 2 weeks detailing exactly when we are heading out and what will be available.
We provide premium quality continuity to the catering and wholesale trade across South Wales, Cardiff, and London. If you require specific species urgently, please submit an enquiry with a few days' notice so we can align your request with the upcoming tidal and weather windows.
Straight answers on tides, seasons, ordering, delivery and how the fishery is run.