I work for a local fish monger/wholesaler and the vast majority of cod and haddock is imported from the faroe islands or at least the boats land the catch at the big factorys there.
you wouldnt believe how many places sell frozen fish. "Top quality" places aswell..
as for fish in whitby. We supply the 3 biggest/best restraunts there and none and i do mean none of the cod they sell is local to this country never mind whitby. Importaion and farming keep this industry alive.
stuff like plaice, and sole is usually local cought. Sea trout and and wild bass when in season and a few others but the majority is imported.
As for "fresh" use the term loosely. We supply the very top restraunts in the whole north east and the fish they put on the table at times has been out the water a week.
There just isnt enuff cod in the north sea to feed the appetite of the industry and certainly not enuff boats to get whats needed.
There is quite a few top venues that sell "hartlepool" fish this means nothing more than thats where it was transported to... not a great deal comes in off the boats usually langos, plaice, sole, gurnads that get sold for pot bait and the lads bringing there catch from the pots.
Quite surprising really but its all about proffit and everyone buys and sells for the best possible proffit... frozen gear is in just about everywhere
there is a place in scarbrough i go to that advertising accross the front of his popular restraunt "local fresh scarbrough fish"
In actual fact it comes out the north east atlantic then goes to faroe islands to be sorted then shipped to grimsby goes to scarbrough, gets filleted then transported to hartlepool then a day later ends up back in scarbrough
fresh? 4 days out the water to grimsby, another day in scarbrough, a day in hartlepool, then in his fridge for upto 3 days
but all the while still fresh..... oh the irony lol
