Rise early to catch Billingsgate's bargains

It's 6am on Saturday morning, and Billingsgate market, situated in an unassuming beige warehouse in the shadow of Canary Wharf, has been in full swing for more than an hour. Salesman Chris Collins of the Barton & Hart stall is persuading a young Russian couple to buy a beautiful-looking whole salmon for the gob-smackingly low price of £22.

"Look at that," he enthuses." Twentytwo quid's worth of pure sex. That one? [he points to a headless cod of similar size] That'll set you back £30. Cod's more expensive than salmon. Mind you, it's an endangered species, like me."

He may be joking, but the general consensus among the fishmongers gathered in nearby Crissy's Café is that even though sales have remained on a reasonably even keel over the past five years, theirs is a dying trade. The domestic fishing industry has been hit hard by EU legislation and by competition from much-despised Spanish "factory boats" (huge vessels which stay at sea for a month "hoovering up" fish, cutting, packaging and freezing it on board).

Towns such as Grimsby, which once had huge fishing fleets, now concentrate on the processing side, and many coastal companies have been forced to cut out the middle man and deal directly with restaurant chains and, in some cases, the general public. Anyone living in a reasonably good London postcode will have encountered the door-to-door fish salesman who has "Just driven down from Whitehaven with this morning's catch".

Supermarkets - which now account for more than two-thirds of UK fish sales - are also putting the squeeze on smaller operations. And, as older fishmongers retire, it's hard to find apprentices willing to take their place. The anti-social hours (3am to 6pm in some cases) help make it an unattractive career for youngsters.

You might therefore imagine that last week's announcement that too much fish could poison you would create an even darker mood in the wetfish trade. Most of the fishmongers I spoke to believe the public will pick out the primary message of the report - that eating fresh fish has great health benefits. Many also say that telling us we shouldn't eat more than two portions of oily fish a week is laughable. After all, do you know anyone who does?

Britain has historically been rather narrow-minded in its consumption of seafood. Batter it, breadcrumb it, but whatever you do, make sure there aren't any bones in it if you want to please a British palate.

Salmon may now be our favourite fish, but in the past, cod and haddock have been synonymous with English cuisine. However, things might be changing. At the J&P Exotics stall in Billingsgate, you'll find rainbow-coloured Parrot Fish alongside Emperor Snapper and Barracuda. At Barton & Hart see cartons of Lime Snapper and metrelong Tope, which resemble pygmy sharks.

If you don't mind getting up early and buying in bulk, there are amazing bargains to be found at Billingsgate. Lucky punters have been known to pick up two whole salmon for around £15 (around half the normal price). Six kilos of mackerel (approximately 25 fish) will set you back £10 and a whole sea bass costs around £2.50.

The most expensive fish sold in London's fishmongers comes from "day boats", which go out to sea and return on the same day, whereas others can be out for a up to a week (some of their catch will be eight days old before it reaches the shops).

Although much of the capital's high-end fish is sourced not from Billingsgate but direct from day-boats around the coast, big restaurants will often have buyers at the market, and you could easily buy the same fish that will find its way to the tables of London's most celebrated restaurants.

One beacon of hope in the battle to educate-us in cooking fish is the excellent West Country-based FishWorks chain. The brainchild of chef Mitchell Tonks (author of fish recipe book, Fresh) the concept combines a traditional fishmongers with a restaurant and cookery school, all on the same premises. The first London branch opened in Turnham Green 15 months ago and the second will soon open in Marylebone High Street.

"There's a huge growth of interest in fresh fish in London," says Tonks. "People want to eat more fish. They're more discerning about food generally and they're well aware of health benefits."

But there's still a long way to go before the majority of Londoners recognise that fish doesn't have to be put through assault and battering before it's edible. And unless you're enterprising enough to get to Billingsgate, eating fresh fish looks destined to remain the preserve of the well-off.

As Mitchell Tonks puts it: "There's an old Sicilian expression - 'If you want to eat fresh fish, you can't have a tight wallet."'