23 arrivals for the period
Whitefish totalled 1700 boxes from one Scottish trawl and three Anglo long-line landings. The Scottish effort has dwindled away; many vessels are no longer permitted to fish west until next year. The industry is struggling – reduced quotas and inflated fuel prices are threatening the viability of the trawl fleet. Sadly the two-year old Aalskere built for top Orkney skipper Iain Harcus, a regular visitor to Ullapool, has been sold to Faroe. This is a heart-breaking decision for a lifelong fisherman. The Spanish fleet likewise haven’t got their troubles to seek with fish less abundant on traditional grounds plus the ever increasing costs of running and crewing a vessel.
Shellfish activity was extremely quiet, consisting of a single landing from a visiting prawn trawler and the efforts of the resident fleet.
Non-fishing was once again the busiest sector and aquaculture vessels were the order of the day. The larger tankship treatment vessels Aqua Skye, Ronjafisk, Ronja Kvaloy, Inter Caledonia, Bakkanes and Ronja Star all called in for monthly crew changes, fuel and stores. The brand new Ronja Star (pictured) sailed from Norway in mid-September and made her first visit last Friday evening. The fish farm support vessels Green Isle, Ocean Aquila, Paul B, and Emma C called in for layovers, the coaster Eastern Vanquish arrived from Spain with a new feed-barge for the local fish farm and fishery research vessel Scotia called in for equipment.
Shore Street Project Update
The project is going well; the contractor worked a couple of Saturdays to make up for lost time due to strong winds. The piling is now around 60% complete and the remaining sheet-piles and tubes will be driven as a priority. The rock armour revetment is slowly taking shape; the machine drivers are taking time to place each piece of stone carefully to achieve a tidy finish. Weekly project updates are displayed on the harbour website along with the first four weeks timelapse video produced by Steven Gourlay. If you have any issues or questions please do not hesitate to get in touch – info@ullapool-harbour.co.uk or 01854 612724.