106 arrivals for the period
Whitefish totalled 17,300 boxes from thirteen Scottish trawl, one Anglo long-liner and a freezer netter. The Rockall haddock fishery is well underway with boats reporting an abundance of haddock and cod on the grounds. Ullapool has always been a consignment harbour for whitefish landings with fleets of lorries transporting fish to markets around Europe. Here’s hoping the spring fishery will sustain for a few months. The Anglo vessel visits have become increasingly occasional, with a single longline landing of fresh hake and ling combined with a landing of processed and frozen-at-sea monkfish from the freezer netter.
Shellfish activity continues apace. There were sixty-seven landings from the prawn trawl sector combined with the efforts of the resident fleet. With the tides on the increase, catches have diminished in recent days.
Non-fishing was once again dominated by the aquaculture sector with fifteen service vessels arriving for fuel, stores and crew changes. The MCA tug Ievoli Black called in for a monthly fuel and crew change.
Harbour Developments The new cruise reception building was constructed in record time over the winter months and is now complete and ready for the first cruise call of the season. Viking Vela is due to visit on Monday afternoon, 31 March, weather permitting. The former meeting room in the harbour building is currently being converted to leisure shower facilities and a self-service laundry for the visiting yachts and should be complete by the end of April. Additional foreshore purchases on either side of the harbour will hopefully conclude in the coming week which will create opportunities for further developments in the coming years.
Vessel Collision On Sunday evening 23 March, a whitefish trawler collided heavily with the ice plant berth causing superficial damage to some of the fenders which will require replacement. Thankfully no other vessels were involved, no injuries were sustained and the vessel immediately returned to the fishing grounds. The accident site was inspected by engineers yesterday and following circulation of their report, contractors will be appointed to make good the damage. The main pier was found to be in good order with no structural damage other than the bent fender piles, a broken bollard and fractured water pipe – all of which are easily repairable.