Harbour News: November 2019
News fromMallaig Harbour: November 2019
First of all, Congratulations to Westword on their 25thanniversary, and 300th edition. I thought it would be good to startthis month looking back at what was happening in autumn 1994 around theharbour.
The new linkspan facilities at Mallaig and Armadale had beenin operation for their first season, and a larger ferry, the Iona had beenservicing the Mallaig-Armadale route, while a new twice-weekly route had begunfrom Mallaig to the Western Isles. Up to September 1994, numbers betweenMallaig and Armadale had risen from 120,399 passengers in 1993 to 138,342 in1994, cars were up from 26,958 to 32,636, commercial vehicles from 62 to 86 andcoaches from 432 to 686! However, there was concern that while the port wasbusier, it was easier for people to by-pass Mallaig and head straight South.(As a comparison, in the year from 1st April 2018 to 31st March 2019 the ferrycarried 332,944 Passengers; 77,181 cars; 2,367 Coaches and 825 Commercialvehicles)
In December 1994, Mallaig Harbour Authority was welcoming theannouncement of funding of £4.1 million towards the £6.8million cost ofcreating a new breakwater for Mallaig, and expanding fish landing and berthingfacilities and the construction of a new fish market to meet European Unionhygiene standards!
Mallaig and North West Fishermen’s Association was callingfor a total ban on twin-rig trawling in all Scottish Waters following on from aban on the use of 70mm fishing gear.
The West of Scotland Fish Producers Organisation had lodgedits draft constitution with the Scottish Office and was awaiting approval. Ithad received 72 applications for membership from vessels as far away as CapeWrath and the Solway Firth, and including the Western Isles.
The MHA Minutes for 7th October 1994 also notedthat ‘a wind generator “kit” has been purchased and once suitable weatheroccurs it will be installed at the Lighthouse’, and that, ‘With increased yachtusage at the port the possibility of establishing yacht moorings was to beexamined’.
Back to the present month, and I have been on holiday fortwo weeks, but have managed to fit in quite a few meetings with Harbour Usersand other partners around this. I mentioned last month the final meeting of theSTAG appraisal group, and we are hoping that this will be published shortly.
As a Board, we are looking at how the Harbour Authority canbecome more environmentally friendly and reduce our carbon footprint. One ofthe quickest ways we can achieve this is to reduce our electricity consumption,and we are hoping to change all the pier lights to LED lights as a first step.We are also working with Westwheels, who have been successful in attractingfunding for an electric vehicle, and we are hope to get grants to installelectric vehicle charging points at the harbour. If we are successful, thesewill also be available for public use.
The Marina closes for the Winter at the end of October, sowe have to say thanks to Courtney McLean and Michael MacLelllan for all theirwork over the season.
We have also said goodbye this month to Colin MacDougall,Alec Kennedy and Avril Trotter, who finished in the Denholm Fishselling Officethis month - we will miss working with them.
The MCA hosted a roadshow in Mallaig on the 30thOctober to consult fisherman on a new Code of Practice for Small FishingVessels that is in development. The code proposes a number of new requirementsfor vessels, and is effective from October 2019. You can find it by searchingthe internet for MSN 1871.
When the new Passenger Access Pontoon was built, lots of people commented on why the ramp was built so high. It was engineered to take account of the biggest tides, and this photo, taken on Tuesday 29th October, which shows the pontoon level with the top of the pier, demonstrates the need for the height.
Jacqueline McDonell