53 arrivals for the period
Whitefish totalled 2,400 boxes from two Scottish trawl and two Anglo longline landings. With boats returning to their homeports for annual maintenance September is always a very quiet month. The price of fuel is crippling and forcing many vessels to work closer to home to reduce expenditure. Both the Scottish and Anglo boats fished the shelf edge for monkfish and hake with mixed results.
Shellfish was restricted to twenty-prawn trawl landings combining with the efforts of the resident fleet. 2026 has been a very good year for the prawn fleet with both trawlers and creel-men reporting above average catches.
Non-fishing was once again fairly busy. Nineteen aquaculture vessels called in for crew, fuel and equipment, there were eight visits from scheduled cruise liners. The MCA tug Ievoli Black dropped in for a crew change as did the Norwegian tug Floro. VB Floro made three return visits running crew to the Western Isles floating, production, storage and offloading vessel which was being towed from Orkney to Kishorn. In deteriorating weather, the tow was aborted for 24 hours and the huge rig and supporting tugs laid off Lochbroom waiting for the wind to ease. With improving conditions and all crew transferred, the rig and associated vessels completed their voyage the following day.
Harbour Projects are progressing. The replacement anode contract and fender repair works are both out for tender. The Caley Building refurbishment is going through the Highland Council planning consultation.