The amount of fish eaten in medieval times as compared today was huge. Being Catholic meat was forbidden on Friday so the only other readily available source of protein was Fish. The Monastic "Stew Pond" system of fish rearing was the mainstay of protein for the various monastic orders, with an acre of water being able to produce more "meat" than an acre of land. The method used was to have two or more "ponds" (do not take "pond" literally as some of these could cover large areas) at slighly different elevations so to allow the water to drain from one to another. The upper pond was filled then "seeded" with manure to promote algae, phyto pankton and other small organisms which were the basis of the Carp food chain, then small Carp were added to grow and breed. The lower ponds had Sheep grazing on them to add manure to the ground and so enrichen the soil. When the upper pond had a sufficient head of fish the sluice gate would be opened and the water drained to the lower pond/s. Any fish too small would be allowed to go into this new pond, the larger fish would be eaten fresh and the remainder preserved for later. The lower ground already having had Sheep etc manuring the soil would not need any "seeding" and the cycle became self sustaining. The upper pond once cleared would provide excellent grazing due to the rich fertiliser left by the Fish. Animals would then be grazed on this until it needed to be filled again and the whole cycle started once more. Genius really, that's the basic method.
Fish was so common in Medieval times that some peasants actually complained that they were being FORCED to eat too much Salmon
A judicial combat was fought by two chosen Knights in 1260 between Meaux Abbey and St mary's of York for the rights to fish a local "mere" not too far from me. Fish was big business in those days.
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