85 arrivals for the period
Whitefish totalled 7,500 boxes from seven Scottish trawlers and one Anglo Spanish long-liner. A handful of Scottish boats returned to Rockall in the hope of catching better condition haddocks; unfortunately the fish are small and of little value and the boats returned to the North Sea. One Anglo long-liner landed a small load of hake and ling before heading back home for a refit. 2026 looks like it will be a make or break situation for fishing with the North Sea cod quota potentially slashed to zero while in the pelagic sector mackerel is facing a 70% cut over the board. It’s hard to imagine the boats will survive these stringent quota measures combined with spiralling daily running costs.
Shellfish activity was reasonably busy with thirty-five prawn trawl landings combining with the local fleet efforts.
The non-fishing sector saw thirty-eight arrivals, of which aquaculture (twenty-four) accounted for the lion’s share. Seven cruise ships made scheduled calls bringing to an end the 2025 season which saw thirty-six ships visit (1.3million tonnes of shipping) carrying 26,000 passengers. Unfortunately four ships cancelled on the day due to the weather. Local businesses all reported bumper takings on cruise days which is a real boost to the local economy. The survey vessel Ventus made a couple of visits for equipment, MCA tug Ievoli Black called in for a crew change, and the Marine Lab vessels Scotia and Alba na Mara called for crew and equipment. Dutch tall ship Thalassa (pictured) called in on her way north to Orkney and then onwards to the Netherlands. The visitor pontoons were steady over the month with many skippers spending a few days alongside to explore the village and surrounding area.
Harbour projects continue apace. As described before, the Caley Building environmental report is being prepared following borehole testing of the foundations for pollutants. The findings of the report will very much shape the building’s development. The first section of the West Shore Street pavement, roadway and kerb line will be replaced in the coming months improving access for those wishing to view vessel arrivals. In addition two sections of boardwalk will be installed to widen the frontage and improve safety and amenity.