Drew Davis, owner of the C.K.S fishing boat, is supplying Michelin-starred chef Tom Aiken with seafood for his new fish and chip shop.

The deal came after Mr Davis signed up to a scheme which demands compliance with environmentally-friendly standards.

The fish and chip shop, called Tom's Place, is just down the road from Mr Aiken's haute cuisine restaurant and a few yards from his grill-cum-caf??, Tom's Kitchen.

"We have a picture on our wall of Drew standing next to his fishing boat," said the award-winning chef.

"He's getting quite a lot of comments from the ladies of Chelsea."

The Responsible Fishing Scheme, devised by The Sea Fish Industry Authority (Seafish), gives chefs the opportunity to buy their fish from fishermen who abide by its rules.

Rick Stein, Nick Nairn, and Mitch Tonks are among other celebrity chefs who have joined the scheme.

Marks & Spencer, Tesco and Sainsburys are moving towards making membership a prerequisite of supply.

"This scheme is about as environmentally-friendly as we can possibly get without getting out of the water and I think my bank manager would have something to say about that," said Mr Davis.

To become certified under the scheme, fishermen must follow guidelines.

These include bringing all rubbish fished from sea back to port, laying larger nets to allow smaller fish to swim free, steaming vessels at a slower pace to save fuel, and keeping fish at a constant temperature on deck and at port.

"It's not anything we weren't doing before," said Drew, "But it's still good to get certified."

Mr Aiken, the youngest recipient yet of two Michelin stars at the age of 26, told The Cornishman that being part of the scheme was extremely good for business.

"We pay a little more for the fish but it's important to our customers that we chose our fish from a fisherman who is doing his job with a care for the environment."

Some 33% of the UK's total fish catch is being caught under the scheme.

Tom Harman, development director of Seafish, said five fishing vessels in Cornwall have signed up and paid to be certified.

Another 53 fishermen still have to pay the audit fee.

To become certified, the owners of members' fishing vessels pay around £600 to be audited once every three years.

However, this fee can be shared among two or three vessels to spread the cost.

A smaller fee is paid once every 18 months, for a second, less stringent audit.

article copyright THE CORNISHMAN 

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