22.04.04
Slipway Upgrade Will Bring Port into 21st Century

Objective One investment of nearly £370,000 has been awarded to Newlyn Pier and Harbour Commissioners to help them upgrade their 50-year-old slipway. The new slipway will provide a maintenance facility accessible at all states of the tide, reducing the time and cost in taking vessels elsewhere for repairs for Cornish fishermen.

Newlyn Port is home to 172 vessels in total, employing around 500 fishermen. Several of the vessels over 10 metres are unable to use the current slipway and are forced to travel to the Netherlands for maintenance work. The upgraded capacity of this slipway will also allow Newlyn to encourage vessels outside of the region to take advantage of the maintenance base at Newlyn, potentially providing additional income for the port.

The investment for the slipway upgrade is in addition to other recent investment including £8,800 for quayside cranes which minimise handling of the fish and therefore improve quality, £5,210 for PVC strip curtains to give cooler temperatures at the fish market and £4,120 to improve safety conditions at North Pier by upgrading the lighting and electrical systems.

These projects have been developed in partnership with the Newlyn Fish Industry Forum as part of the Newlyn Regeneration Strategy, which aims to invest in and develop the fishing industry.

Douglas Williams, Vice Chairman of the Newlyn Pier and Harbour Commissioners said, "This is excellent news for the fishing industry at Newlyn and for the modernisation plans for the port. We have been striving towards completion of these schemes for a long while, particularly the work on the slipway. The upgrading of the slipway – essential for vessel maintenance – has been of great concern. The awards are a sign of the thrust and success of the Newlyn Fish Industry Forum and the co-operation the Commissioners have received."

Clare Leverton, Objective One Fisheries Programme Manager said, "The Fishing Industry Task Force makes the Regeneration Plan for Newlyn one of its top priorities and these improvements are the first stages of realising the ambitious plans for the port."

Further information contact:

Clare Leverton, Objective One Fisheries Programme Manager
Trevint House
Strangways Villas
Truro
TR1 2PA
Tel: 01872 270333
Fax: 01872 242470
e-mail: admin@swpesca.co.uk
website: www.swpesca.co.uk

Tony Woodhams, Newlyn Fisheries Project Officer
Tel: 01736 332471
Fax: 01736 332531
website: www.newlyn.org

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Editor's notes:

Background Note
Objective One Fisheries Programme

Cornwall's Objective One Fisheries programme will provide £5 million from April 2001 to March 2006 to the fishing industry in Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly. The funds are a mixture of EU and national funds, through the Financial Instruments for Fisheries Guidance fund (FIFG) the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA).

The projects are approved by the DEFRA in partnership with a Objective One Fisheries Management Group, made up of local fishing sector representatives. South West Pesca Ltd assists applicants develop projects by providing guidance and help on completing application forms and submitting applications.

Up to 40% grants are available for the private sector projects and 75% grants for the public sector projects. So far 146 projects have been approved with £3,721,500 of FIFG committed to projects and nearly £383,000 of DEFRA funds.

Examples of projects funded by the Objective One Programme:

• Vessel Modernisation:
Adoption of sustainable fishing methods, maximising fish quality on board fishing vessels, and improvements to crew comfort and working conditions
 
• Improvement of fishing ports
 
• Processing and marketing of fishery and aquaculture products
 
• Product promotion
 
• Projects by members of the trade of collective benefit to the fishing industry
 
• Innovative measures
 
• Aquaculture
 
• Protection and development of aquatic resources by fixed of movable Structures

For further information contact:

Clare Leverton
South West Pesca Ltd
Trevint House
Strangways Villas
Truro TR1 2PA
Tel: 01872 270333
Fax: 01872 242470
website: www.swpesca.co.uk
e-mail: admin@swpesca.co.uk

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Sue Wolstenholme
Objective One Communications
Objective One Partnership Office
Castle House
Pydar Street
Truro TR1 2UD
Mob: 07973 813647
Tel: 01579 370991

lmroberts@cornwall.gov.uk

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