35 Arrivals for the period
Some of you may have noticed a news story which captured the front page of this Monday’s Press & Journal with the sensational headline ‘Harbour will rip heart out of village’. The story alluded to a consultation run by Highland Council which allows individuals, businesses and developers the opportunity to feed into the formation of a Local Development Plan. The purpose of the exercise is to suggest a vision and spatial strategy for the area. Ullapool Harbour Trust was consulted and made a submission showing an area stretching from the existing pier to the wee jetty. This in no way suggests that the entire area will be developed, merely that if the harbour ever wished to develop, then this is the direction it would have to go in. Perhaps the wee jetty might be developed in isolation, perhaps the entire area may require maintenance dredging, perhaps we may require more visitor moorings, perhaps we may install some pontoons, and perhaps we may require a pier extension, who knows. The point is the Local Development Plan gives an opportunity to feed into the strategic development of the area.
The article referred to a similar proposal made 6 years ago. Ullapool Harbour Trust did indeed table options for an eastern leg extension and associated development 9 years ago but it did not gain public support, it is not intended to resurrect this scheme.
In recent times UHT has worked tirelessly improving community and stakeholder engagement. Since 2009 UHT has invested £25M in infrastructure and developments to safeguard the future of the ferry service and to create jobs and opportunities for individuals and businesses locally. As a community owned business, UHT is well aware that we are under constant scrutiny and as such any plans, developments or otherwise will be subject to a transparent and detailed consultation process.
Whitefish landings have been very good with 9000 boxes of mainly haddock, hake and ling coming ashore. The Scottish trawlers continue to enjoy very good haddock fishing at Rockall with large hauls of fish on the bank. The Anglo fleet are also fishing well with rich pickings all along the shelf edge.
Shellfish landings are also on the up with a number of visiting prawn trawlers and the offshore crabbers landing weekly.
Non-fishing saw 3 SMIT navy support vessels alongside as part of the most recent war games in the Minch. The pelagic super-trawler Altaire called in to collect scientists and equipment for the second mackerel egg survey. The fishfarm tank ships Norholm and Solundoy called in to collect 300,000 salmon smolts for transfer to sea cages and the tug Nitrox called in for a layover. Our thoughts are with the Aultbea owner, crew and families associated with the Nitrox as tragedy struck the vessel earlier this month when working in the south Minch. David Chamberlain a crewman onboard the vessel was posted missing and tragically his body was later recovered from Mallaig harbour by police divers.