Cattewater Harbour Commissioners (CHC) are pleased to have officially opened the new pontoons at the Barbican Landing Stage (BLS). Supported by the Marine Management Organisation’s (MMO) Fisheries and Seafood Scheme (FaSS) fund with match funding provided by CHC, these new pontoons are available for registered commercial fishing vessels to use on a space available basis.
Charles Weston-Baker Chair of the CHC Board said:
“For over 150 years Cattewater Harbour Commissioners has worked hard to support its stakeholders and invest in projects that help support them.
“I am delighted that following the success of the first extension to support charter vessels and tripping boats this new extension provides our commercial fleet with somewhere to tie up when they are waiting for the lock gates or to go to sea”.
Captain Richard Allan CEO and Harbour Master CHC said:
“We have always done our best to support the local fishing fleet with emergency berthing when the unexpected happens, but this new facility will allow vessels registered with us to moor on this dedicated pontoon on a space available basis.
“We are grateful to our suppliers Teignmouth Maritime Services and Inland and Coastal Marina Services for their support and delivery of this project.”
Cllr Tudor Evans OBE, leader of Plymouth City Council said:
“It is great to have operators like Cattewater Harbour Commissioners in Plymouth, they are experts in the field and have our waterscape, its users and the wider City at the heart of all they do.
“This latest project at the Barbican Landing Stage is fantastic for our fishing fleet and continues the significant investments they have been making to provide the best facilities possible in the heart of our City.”
Paul Errington, acting Director of Finance and Resources of the Marine Management Organisation said:
“By creating dedicated, safe and efficient berthing for the inshore fleet Cattewater Harbour Commissioners are helping support the long term sustainability and resilience of the local fishing businesses.
“We’re pleased to have supported this investment through the Fisheries and Seafood Scheme and we look forward to seeing the benefits this new extension will bring for the fleet, the wider waterfront economy and the community that depends upon it.”
The new extension to the Mayflower Pontoon at the Barbican Landing Stage has been specifically designed to meet the needs of the local fishing fleets providing higher freeboard pontoons and reinforced fendering. It provides an extra c.60m of mooring space giving fishing vessels the opportunity to reduce emissions and crew fatigue by tying up and turning their engines off when waiting to transit the lock gates or preparing to go fishing.
Local fisherman Brian Tapper said:
“Cattewater Harbour already has a reputation for helping the fishing fleet and it is great to see this new facility providing more space for them to do just that.
“Commercial fishing is a hard job, sometimes the lock gate times don’t work for your fishing times, the weather turns poor, or you need to wait for the weather to break.
“It will make life much easier for skippers and crews to be able to tie up and wait than bobbing around at sea, with fuel prices so high its a cost savings while reducing our emissions too.“
John Hart, Inland and Coastal Project Manager said:
“We are pleased to have completed another successful project at the iconic Barbican landing stage in the heart of Plymouth.
“Building on the operational success of the Mayflower Pontoons, increasing vital walk-ashore for the local fishing charter fleet, this new extension has been specifically designed and funded as a new key piece of infrastructure to support Plymouth’s commercial fishing fleet, while also delivering important improvements to safety for both crew and harbour users.
“This project reflects Inland & Coastal’s collaborative approach, working closely with the operators to develop a tailored solution that maximises the available space while meeting the specific operational requirements of the vessels using the facility, alongside enhancing safe access and day-to-day operations.
“Our extensive experience working with ports and harbour operators enabled it to design a bespoke solution that fitted within, and utilised, the existing infrastructure and assets.
“We would like to thank the Cattewater Harbour team for their continued collaboration and support, and we look forward to seeing the facility serving the harbour for many years to come.”
