Marine news in brief
Boats take shelter
IT HAS been a routine week at Lerwick Harbour, with the usual mix of fishing and oil-related vessels.
A wide number of vessels were expected to come in to escape from strong winds in the second half of the week.
Foreign fishing vessels, such as the Norwegian Fiskebank, landed fish at Gremista last Sunday for Monday’s market and sheltered from the bad weather.
The diving support vessel Orelia berthed at Greenhead base on Tuesday from Aberdeen.
She was picking up massive 98-tonne cable reels for a job offshore.
Also arriving at Greenhead was the 5,000 tonne Caledonian Vanguard.
She arrived on Monday before sailing off for a job in the east Shetland basin, but made a return trip to the isles on Wednesday night.
The Knab and the Kebister have been keeping themselves busy before things settle down for Christmas.
On Wednesday both the tugs were called to help with three tanker crew changes south of Lerwick.
It is unusual to have so many in one day.
Tankers in port
FOUR tankers arrived at Sullom Voe port during the last week.
Last Thursday Petrodvorets, carrying 83,175 tonnes of crude oil, and Overseas Portland with 83,063 tonnes, set off for Portland Maine.
On Monday the Ocean Lady sailed to Hamburg with 72,137 tonnes, while the Stellar Voyager left for Teesport with 90,400 tonnes of oil on board.
There were no Schiehallion imports, and no ship-to-ship transfers.
However, the Atlantic Galaxy exported 70,767 tonnes on Monday from Schiehallion before sailing to Finnart.
Website launched
THE NAFC Marine Centre launches a new website today which showcases the organisation and its different departments.
NAFC director David Gray said: “We’re delighted to launch the new website as one year ends and another begins.
“This is an exciting time for the centre and we hope that the bright and colourful design will project a quality online presence for an establishment that has a lot to be proud of.”
Professor Gray said recently commissioned photography would give the site a new lease of life and that the college planned to add new interactive features in the future.
“Our website is an excellent online tool for promoting our services to a worldwide audience and is a robust medium from which we can develop new business for the future.”
Prices not so good
HEAVY landings on the mainland mean it was a poor week at the fishmarkets here.
A spokesman for agents LHD said prices had not stayed up as well as hoped, with only monkfish prices remaining relatively strong.
There was no market yesterday as boats tied up for Christmas.
Whitefish prices: haddock £0.29-£2.67; halibut £6.80-£9.36; John Dory £5.24-£9.11; lemon sole £1.63-£6.62; ling £0.55-£1.25; lythe £0.95-£2.86; megrims £0.36-£3.65; monkfish £1.67-£6.16; plaice £0.35-£1.73; saithe £0.35-£1.02; skate £0.37-£0.65; squid £0.77-£2.85; turbot £5.80-£12.92; tusk £0.20-£0.85; whiting £0.25-£1.24, witches £0.48-£1.08.
LANDINGS DAY BY DAY
Lerwick : Scalloway
Boats – Boxes : Boats – Boxes
Friday 9 – 1,050 : 2 – 130
Monday 5 – 830 : – – –
Tuesday 3 – 250 : 6 – 570
Wednesday 2 – 255 : 1 – 100
Yesterday – – – : – – –
TOTALS 19 – 2,385 : 9 – 800
