Recycling of pelagic nets supports charity’s activities

Seventy tonnes of old nets from Shetland’s pelagic fleet have been donated to a charity that takes them apart for recycling and uses the proceeds to help support projects from Africa to the UK.

Retired Fraserburgh skipper Willie Whyte cleans the nylon nets and removes other materials like polypropylene cord and metal components before shipping.

The metal components go to scrap and the polypropylene ropes are sold to small fishing vessels for mooring ropes.

The money generated is used by his Oor Bairns Charitable Trust to support a range of projects, most recently the provision of three scanners for pregnant women from Raigmore Hospital in Inverness to the Nakasangola community in Uganda.

The consignment was picked up by his son Will, skipper of the Grateful, when she was in Shetland for work to be done on the vessel.