The Worshipful Company of Fishmongers is one of the Livery Companies of the City of London, being a guild of the sellers of fish in that city. The Company ranks fourth in the order of precedence of the Livery Companies, making it one of the Great Twelve City Livery Companies.
The Company has an unbroken existence of more than seven hundred years - although it probably existed earlier, it received its first Royal Charter in the year 1272. A predecessor guild was fined as adulterine in 1154. It took the name the Stock Fishmongers' Company as the result of another Royal Charter of 1508. Then, in 1537, it combined with the Salt Fishmongers' Company into the Company of the present name.
The Company is governed by a Prime Warden, five other Wardens and a Court of twenty-eight livery members.
Early in its existence, the Company acquired a monopoly of the sale of fish in the City of London. Today, this monopoly is no longer absolute, but under powers established by a Charter of James I in 1604, the staff of the Company (known as 'fishmeters') still inspect all fish coming into the City of London. This applies especially to Billingsgate Market, which is the largest fish market in the United Kingdom.
The Company is intimately concerned with salmon and fresh water fishing as well as shell fish throughout the waters of the United Kingdom, and it supports research and publishes books on fish, such as Fish and Shellfish and The Fishmongers' Company Cook Book. Thus, the Company continues many of its original trade duties, unlike some other City Livery Companies which have become entirely charitable or ceremonial institutions.