Kipperman is maritime historian and writer Mike Smylie. Trained as naval architect and owner of several fishing vessels of various types, he has had an interest in fishy matters for many years.

As owner of the Lochfyne skiff Perseverance, a 1912-built west coast of Scotland traditional sailing herring boat, he began to research the herring fisheries.

In 1995, after selling the boat, he, along with Michael Craine from the Isle of Man, founded the 40+ Fishing Boat Association to lobby government on the wholesale destruction of fishing fleets through the EU decommissioning scheme. The Association, with over 500 members, remains the only UK maritime organisation dedicated to all types of fishing craft. Kipperman is editor of their thrice-yearly newsletter Fishing Boats.

Kipperman has written widely on fishing matters (see books page). He completed a two year postgraduate study at St. Andrews University in 2003, gaining a Master of Philosphy (MPhil) degree.

In 1996 he started ‘The Herring Exhibition’ at the International Festival of the Sea in Bristol. Every year since the exhibition – now called ‘Kipperland’ – visits shows up and down the country. The exhibition tells of the history of the once great herring fishery and highlights the incredible nutritional effects of eating this oil-rich fish. Kipperman also smokes fish in his little Kipperhouse, for which people come from many miles away to see.

In November 2004 Kipperman was given the BBC Radio 4 Food Campaigner/Educator Award at the annual Food and Farming Awards by Rick Stein and Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall. More recently, at the Organic Food Festival in Bristol in September 2005, Hugh came along to Kipperland to spend some time gutting herring with Kipperman.

After having appeared on radio several times, Kipperman is currently working on a radio series on traditional and sustainable coastal fishing. There’s a rumour that he might also appear on TV soon!

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