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Newlyn Harbour News

BBC Radio Cornwall Update 10/03/19

Listen to the interview

Harbour Master Rob is back on BBC Radio Cornwall with his latest harbour update.

You can find the show here on Listen Again:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/p07kl3nm – Jump to 02:37:30. You will need a BBC account to listen

 

Alternatively, you can find the transcript below

Let’s pass to Newlyn Harbour to talk to Harbour Master Rob Parsons…. What’s been going on in your neck of the woods then?

Well, we’ve been, the fishing unfortunately hasn’t been as what I’d like to see. We discussed this last week – the weather, the tide etc… and such.

We’ve still got a lot of scallopers coming in, but the fish in the market’s so light, it’s quite disappointing. I think we’ve only had about [one] hundred or so boxes this morning, and last week when I spoke to you it was four, but we are starting to see the gillnetters coming in.

We’ve had a couple land to us, and we had about three of four boats land through us, which means a difference because they’re landing within Newlyn and sending their fish off to Brixham and/or Plymouth, because that’s their choice, it’s their business. So hopefully with a bit more quantity or volume we’ll see some increase over the next three or four days, so finger’s crossed there.

 

Because the weather’s not been terribly bad has it? A bit brisk at times but you know, by and large ok?

Yeah not too bad. Yesterday it was chucking it down, yeah absolutely chucking it down, but this morning’s beautiful. I’m stood on my balcony, waiting to speak to you guys with a cup of tea, looking at the sun, and it’s beautiful, it’s lovely.

 

Absolutely, how civilized. We’ve been hearing from Naomi and her guests at Battery Rocks in Penzance, about swimmers there concerned about jet skiers zooming too close to them – I don’t suppose you get many jet skiers in Newlyn, or do you?

Well we do, we have people launch from here and from Penzance, from all around, and it’s something that I was made aware of yesterday, so obviously I liaised with Counciller McKenna and Captain Brigden, who’s the Port Manager for Cornwall, so it’s something that we take very seriously, and we share, you know, our approach and how we can rectify this.

And I know there are reports coming through that the jet skies are going quite close to wild swimmers, unfortunately though it’s about respect in the water and it’s about the respect of everyone being allowed to use the water, so we’re working together to try and educate the rules at sea.

Jet skies are more than entitled to go at a speed which is safe, a safe speed outside of port jurisdiction, but also it’s very hard to see the wild swimmers so we’re going to try to encourage them to be better seen, if we can. They’re doing the right thing, they’re wearing the right coloured hats, they’re towing buoys, but it’s about educating all users to make sure everyone has respect for each other, so they can all use the water safely.

 

It’s very confusing isn’t it, the laws and rules that govern your behaviour on the water, because quite often it’s down to an individual port or, you know, council? It’s very, very complex..

I think that’s fair to say. When I took this job over, it’s very hard to explain to people maritime law, and the crossover from land to maritime and how it works. Because you’ve got Newlyn Harbour is a trust port, so that has its own statute. And you have the same for Mousehole over there, which is a separate part, so they’re very similar but they’re very different, and then also you’ve got Penance, you’ve got the pilotage district which myself and Captain Brigden, you know, run, so there is that side of things.

But maritime law and certain ways that’s adapted and interpreted is actually quite convoluted. So when I heard about the jet skies and I knew I was doing my radio broadcast, I was hoping you wouldn’t ask me any tough questions, because there is no right answer sometimes, it’s all about interpretation, as people that study law in the UK [will know], it’s all about case law, you know, certain parts of it and how you interpret that.

So myself and the Port Manager of Cornwall have a very similar point of view with this – it’s about educating people and making sure that you respect everyone, and that everyone can use the water safely.

 

Any events coming up in the week ahead that we should know about?

We actually have something going on now, it’s the Smile Together, it’s the mobile dentist. He’s sat in what I call barren square, where mr barron used to have his newsagents in Newlyn. They’re here today and I believe they’re here tomorrow, so they’re doing free dental checks for fishermen and their families, so if you’re around and you want a quick check up, please pop in!

 

Thank you so much for talking to us this morning.