Sailors and herring fishers bid farewell
THE LAST of the summer yachts came and went from Lerwick Harbour this week, unofficially marking the end of the season.
The last departure was the French Not Ile, which arrived from Baltasound and sailed to Fair Isle. Regular visitor the 65m Norwegian sail training ship Sorlandet arrived at the harbour on Tuesday for a brief visit.
The Faroese fishing boat Finnur Fridi has been fishing for herring as has the Banff boat Resolute, the only one of the north east boats still fishing. All local boats have finished their herring fishing.
The big 98m Norwegian reefer Silver Bergen has been clearing out the store at Shetland Catch. The Green Concordia started loading yesterday and when she is full the Eiger will continue the work.
Apart from that it has been a routine week of oil-related arrivals and departures, with the Bahamian diving support vessel Skandi Achiever a notable presence at Holmsgarth.
The stock season started this week with the cargo boats Hascosay and Clare coming to the harbour on alternate days.
Dredging in the harbour is now coming to an end. The drill and blasting barge Playmate is still here and the digger barge Manu Pekka is working on the remaining high spots.
Dredging yielded a remarkable find in the form of a piece of timber carbon-dated as being 7,500 years old and identified as birch. It was found under 10 metres of water but it is not known at what depth in the sea bed. Further tests should reveal the rate of sea level change since the Ice Age.
• It has been a busy week at Lerwick fishmarket with good markets and good prices.
There has been a lot of landing at Scalloway and some mackerel has been sold at auction.
Prices this week: cats £1.60-£1.83; cod £1.87-£3.20; eels £0.80; gurnards £0.87; haddock £0.36-£2.34; hake £1.00-£2.70; halibut £3.28-£9.02; John Dory £5.10- £10.27; lemons £1.15- £5.86; ling £1.03-£1.75; lythe £2.70- £3.27; mackerel £0.26-£0.58; megrim £1.34-£5.22; monk £2.35-£3.70; plaice £0.58-£1.93; saithe £0.45- £1.14; skate £0.80-£1.50; squid £3.63-£4.54; turbot £4.08-£12.50; tusk £0.76-£0.95; w hiting £0.45- £2.43; witches £0.80- £1.16.
LANDINGS DAY BY DAY
Lerwick Scalloway
Boats Boxes Boats Boxes
Friday 5 513 6 816
Monday 5 495 4 845
Tuesday 7 805 4 370
Wednesday – – 4 320
Thursday 7 1262 3 831
TOTALS 24 3075 21 3182
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Only two tankers sailed from Sullom Voe Terminal this week.
The Hildegaard left on Monday with 76,006 tonnes of crude, heading for Tranmere. The next day the Amalthea, with 79,337 tonnes, also went to Tranmere.There were no Schiehallion imports or exports and no ship to ship transfers.
