Listen to the interview

Our Harbour Master Rob is back on BBC Cornwall with his weekly update.

You can find the show here on Listen Again:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/p07mvcxw – Jump to 2:38:08. You will need a BBC account to listen

 

Alternatively, you can find the transcript below

It’s over to Rob Parsons, Harbour Master at Newlyn. Good morning to you Rob.

Good morning how are you?

 

Very, very well- what’s been happening over the last week?

Well last night was a bit tasty with the weather wasn’t it, especially down here. Thunderstorms, plenty of rain… it’s only just recently stopped, so I’ve ventured out and I’m now walking on the quay, and it’s beautiful.

[So] the last week has been relatively quiet by fish in a way, but that’s because we have had a bit of weather. The mackerel’s dropped off somewhat, not because they’re not there, but because the guys in St Ives haven’t managed to get out, as the wind’s obviously been going straight in the harbour. So we’ve seen a marked reduction in the amount of mackerel, and I think this morning we only had, probably, about half a tonne.

But the rest – we’ve had a bit of hake, but again, some of the people haven’t been going out, some have, so it’s been steady, but you know this morning, probably about 20 tonne, which is about, not as much as I would like really on a Tuesday morning, but hopefully it will pick up as the week goes on.

 

What’s the next fish to come ‘on stream’ – do you get seasonal change in the autumn?

Yeah, we’re starting to see the cuttles, they’re should be about now, we’ve got a first showing. So I’d say this morning… what did we have… about 5 tonne is what we had, so it’s very messy but the prices weren’t as good as we would expect [compared] to last year, but they wouldn’t be. At the beginning of the year [the price] is going to be low because the market hasn’t caught up yet, if that makes sense.

So like I say, a reduction in mackerel, first showing of cuttlefish, probably a bit of hake this morning – some of it still going up to our colleagues up in Plymouth and Brixham, and a little bit of pollock etc… But you know, not enough at the moment, but hopefully it will pick up.

 

Let’s hope so. Anything for the diary for the week ahead?

To be honest, it’s catch up week. I had a commissioners meeting last week, so when I have one of those, it’s nice to come out the other side. There’s always a lot of things [and] actions to do, so I have to just rush, rush, rush before I get to the next one, then I realise I haven’t done anything, so for me it’s just catch up & getting things done.

 

Brilliant Rob, thank you very much indeed. We’ll catch up with Rob in Newlyn again at the same time next week.