The festival has been co-founded by Guernseyman Marcel Lenormand who, having spent years investigating how different communities around the world celebrate their maritime history, decided to try and revive Guernsey’s own heritage through an annual festival.
‘Guernsey has the most amazing maritime heritage, but where is it?’ he said.
‘We’re not just talking about old history that feels very far away – this is still living history, living heritage that we have a close connection to.’
Mr Lenormand was particularly inspired to set up the festival after visiting Port Townsend, Washington USA, where he learned about the epic journey of a recently-deceased Guernseyman who had sailed the globe in a homemade wooden boat.
His long-term vision for the festival is for it to bring about the restoration and preservation of traditional Guernsey boats and to encourage the younger generations to experience and learn about our maritime history.
‘As an island, this is who we are, this is our identity,’ he said.
As part of the festival, some of Guernsey’s local fisherman docked their traditional fishing boats at the Crown Pier, enabling members of the public to see them and learn about them up close.
Among them was fisherman Peter Lesbirel, whose historic vessel dates back to 1965.
‘She was one of the last wooden boats built on the island,’ he said.
Mr Lesbirel, for his part, has been fishing for as long as the boat has been seaworthy – and longer.
He first took up the occupation aged 14, having come from a family and community who trained him in the trade.
‘It’s only salt in my veins now,’ he said
Many decades on, Mr Lesbirel is still as dedicated to the profession as ever, and continues to work as a fisherman while sharing his history with the island’s younger generations.
‘Fishermen are storytellers, and my grandchildren love the stories I tell them,’ he said.
‘I’ve also gone into some of the schools, and whenever I talk about my fishing and all, the children are always fascinated.’
‘We can’t train up youngsters now like we used to though, because of health and safety rules, which I understand – I’m not daft – but in a few years we might not have any Guernsey fish anymore, and it’s a worry.’
Mr Lesbirel said Guernsey fishing has been in decline for some time, and only about 10% of fish sold in the island is caught locally.
He hopes the Fete d’la Mair will help preserve such industries on the island, whether through giving local fishermen, ormerers and oyster farmers a chance to sell their wares, or by telling and retelling their stories to preserve them in civic memory.
The initial fete saw a range of maritime craftsmen and tradesmen come to the Crown Pier to exhibit their work, doing everything from live-crafting willow crab pots to selling hand-picked seaweed.
‘If we can’t hold on to our heritage, what have we got?’ said Mr Lesbirel.
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