Listen to the interview

Take a listen to Harbour Master Rob Parsons as he keeps us updated with all the harbour activity.

You can find the show here on Listen Again:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/p07m073c – Jump to 2:36:09. You will need a BBC account to listen

 

Alternatively, you can find the transcript below

Let’s find out what’s been happening in the port of Newlyn now, we’ll head to Rob Parsons in the office…

 

If it’s not too personal a question to ask, how’s your plumbing?

All working well thank you! All nice and clean now. We’ve had it tested again and just waiting for the results. I believe I’ve got on top of the issues and thanks for everyone’s support and understanding with the plumbing issues. 

 

We should just clarify that this was the lead piping that was at the back of our office wasn’t it…

That’s correct, yes. It’s when we have our quarterly test by Cornwall Council, we always do fine, but this time it wasn’t a case of anything nasty in there, it was the fact that it was lead. 

I’m ripping the building apart as we are updating one of the offices and we found them [pipes] so they know where it [the lead] is so we’ve rectified that and had the tests and are just awaiting the results.

 

What else can you tell us from Newlyn?

Well we’ve had a request to answer a question with regards to the Fish Festival and I’m more than happy to do that.

 

Yes this is a question from Maureen in Truro actually, she said [she was] clearly disappointed that there wasn’t one [Fish Festival] this year. Are there any plans for for a 2020 Newlyn Fish Festival?

Well, hot off the press, this is an exclusive… Now what’s happened, was the first time it was cancelled was because of the build, because of the new refurbishment of the market which everyone was aware of. And then obviously throughout that there was the fact that the committee decided to dissolve because they decided to reinvigorate it. So what’s happening at the moment is that I would like to keep it going, but it was separate and they [the committee] have done a fantastic job for so many years and I think it’s now time for someone else to take the baton and I feel a responsibility to do so.

I have mentioned to the commission that I would like to do that and to reinvigorate it and really make it about the industry, especially post Brexit. So the intention is to do that but I need the resources in order to do that. At the moment [for] 2020, I’m going to say [there is] 60% chance of it happening and if I can get the committee up and running as soon as possible then I’d like it to happen because its a fantastic thing and we can’t lose it.

So in answer to Maureen’s question, I’m working on it and I’m doing my best!

 

So there’s a call to arms that you’re issuing?

Yes, pretty much, I’m looking for ideas and looking for people that would like to assist. I’ve got quite a few people and we had some celebrity chefs – I won’t mention any names as yet but [they] are really keen to assist and be involved. So we can raise the profile and turn it a bit more into a kind of a food festival. I want to celebrate the industry, I really want to make it about the fisherman because unfortunately what I’ve seen thus far with the Fish Festival is that they all go to sea and avoid it, and I think it’s something to bring them back to the fold. So I’m working on it but it is a call to arms and hopefully we can get something sorted.

 

Ok, well you’ll keep us posted on that, that’s good news there…. What about landings?

Not too bad actually, yesterday we had about 80 tonne of fish and some of it was with us and some of it was moving on so a standard story. This morning we had 3 tonne of mackerel which was not bad really. We had a bit of hand-line pollock, plenty of monks and megrims, we had beam caught fish, so not a bad market for us. It will die down a bit now as all the gill netters are in so we will probably see a reduction in landings and it pick up again by the end of the week. 

 

Ok Rob, thanks very much, good to talk to you and have a very good week. Rob Parsons there, the Harbour Master in Newlyn.