North-east harbour chiefs have unveiled a £40million upgrade plan to help their town cash in on a boom in the local fishing industry.
Peterhead Port Authority put its proposals for a new fish market and deepening scheme on show yesterday – and wants to start work on the revamp as early as next year.
The new facility, at the site of the harbour’s former Greenhill market, is expected to be completed by 2016.
Harbour bosses claim the current fish market – which was built as recently as the mid-1990s – is no longer fit for purpose.
Last night, port authority chief executive, John Wallace, said: “The existing fish market at Merchant’s Quay can only handle 5,500 boxes, and we had 5,900 on site today, with 4,000 lying in the harbour for tomorrow.
“The new fish market at Greenhill will hold 9,000 and include a covered landing area for private sales, in keeping with our British retail Consortium accreditation for best practice in storage and distribution of this product.
“We await the opening of the European Maritime Fisheries Fund (EMFF) later this year and hope to secure 25% of the £40million estimated cost of the project.
“Works could start around this time next year – May 2015 – and will take 18 months to complete, so end of 2016.
“Tenders will go out in a couple of months’ time to contractors to price the job.”
The two main north and south harbour basins will be deepened by more than 10ft to create a total depth of 21ft, meaning skippers will no longer have to rely on the tides to land their catch.
Mr Wallace added: “As one of Europe’s top ports with around £80million of whitefish through the port, this is a development that, while overdue, will resolve present demands and prepare Peterhead for the challenges ahead.
“Not least of those challenges is the landings obligation as provided by the Common Fisheries Policy coming into effect on January 1, 2016, whereby all whitefish caught must be taken ashore for landing, with no discards.”
The port authority has budgeted £35million for the project, with a £5million contingency for unforeseen situations.
About three-quarters of the funding would come from the harbour’s reserves and the rest from the EMFF.
Peterhead South and Cruden councillor Stephen Smith welcomed the investment in the town and signs that the fishing sector was beginning to boom.
He said: “Peterhead harbour and the many and various activities associated with it have long been the economic mainstay of the town and the fishing industry remains vital to the economic wellbeing of the town.”
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