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Giant factory ships ‘emptying the fishing grounds’ off Milford Haven

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FOUR huge fishing vessels, each over 120m long, are working off the coast of Milford Haven at the present time, the Herald has learned.

Local fishermen say they have been tracking the vessels, which can stay at sea for many weeks, for the last few days.

One local trawlerman, who did not want to be named said that he felt that UK waters were being deliberately targeted before Britain leaves the EU.

The ‘Willem van der Zwan’ at 142m is one of the largest fishing vessels of the Dutch fleet is working alongside three other EU registered factory ships including the ‘Afrika’ and the ‘Carolien’.

At many times larger than the usual trawlers working in the Irish Sea, the four large vessels are amongst 19 fishing boats in the area. One of them is British registered, the rest from other European nations.

A spokesman for the Blue Planet Society said: “The capacity of these trawlers is equivalent to dozens of small-scale fishing vessels, and sustainable small-scale fisheries cannot compete with industrial supertrawlers.
“Supertrawlers are effectively floating factories and able to stay at sea for considerable periods of time. ‘Willem van der Zwan’ can process 250 tonnes of fish per day whilst at sea.
“Local, smaller fishing boats have to return to port to offload the fish prior to processing.”

Fishing in the Irish Sea is governed by the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP), a set of rules laid down by the European Commission.
A Commission official said last month responding to a similar incident in the English Channel: “The Commission is aware of concerns among NGOs concerning the activity of large trawlers (in UK waters).
“All vessels operating in EU waters, large and small, have to abide by the rules and this is controlled by the Member States’ inspection and control services.
“It is a priority that all Union vessels comply with the legislation in force.
“Therefore, if there is a suspicion that vessels infringe rules then the Commission would like to be informed and receive concrete facts.
“Moreover, fisheries inspection authorities in the Member States also need to be informed about this.”

The management of a large Dutch fishing vessel told The Herald: “We have our own factory with us. So, the large size of the vessel is not related to the catching power of the vessel but to the on-board processing and storage facilities. The fish remains its freshness and the efficient processing procedure results in an affordable consumer product.”

The Willem van der Zwan website says: “Our goal is simple: we should fish in such a way that fish stocks and their natural habitats remain healthy and productive. This is the only way in which we can continue to meet the demand of present and future generations. ‘We want to preserve the capital and to catch the interest.’

“To fulfil this mission, we will continue to contribute to scientific research. Scientific research is essential for setting quotas, implementing and maintaining a sound management system for various fish stocks and for further innovations in selective catch methods.

“A logical consequence of this sustainability policy is the certification of fisheries according to the MSC principles. Moreover, our fish is characterized by a high Omega-3 content, a relatively very low CO-2 footprint and a low price.”
A source in the fishing community told this newspaper that Willem van der Zwan is currently at Pembroke Dock. “I’ve been told that her fishing gear was caught around the prop” we were told.

SCH302 Factory ship [File picture]

Fishing company Parlevliet van der Plas includes the Margiris on a list of pelagic trawlers on its website.
The website says: “Pelagic fish shoals are located with the help of echo-sounding equipment. From the echogram it is possible to estimate the depth and the size of the shoal.
“The net is towed behind the ship just below the water surface or further down the water column, but does not reach the seabed.
“Pelagic fishing gear is constantly undergoing further improvements to ensure a responsible fishery through better selectivity.
“Special measures and aids – such as large mesh sizes in the front part of the net – are being developed to prevent the catch of un-wanted species or undersized juvenile fish.”

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Rugby Weekly – Tenby’s promotion push continues

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It’s crunch time for all rugby clubs around the county, whether promotion is their aim or fighting relegation or even just trying to improve their league position, it’s now or never. 

Last weekend saw an important win for Fishguard in division two west which should put any relegation fears to bed completely. James Griffiths added an impressive 18 points for the Seagulls as they defeated Nantgaredig 33-19. 

Elsewhere in the second division, Milford were beaten 32-8 by a good Lampeter outfit. The Mariners are still a little too close for comfort with the drop zone but should have enough quality to see them safe. 

At the other end of the table Tenby sit in second place and have played fewer games than leaders St Clears and third place Lampeter. They won impressively again last weekend, beating Pontyberem 64-19 at Haywood Lane. Fletcher Broadhurst impressed with two tries as did Hywel Baker who also grabbed himself a brace. Another excellent performance in an outstanding season so far in which promotion would be the absolute icing on the cake. 

In Division Three West, Pembroke were well beaten by Laugharne 74-15 in which the outstanding Liam Price and Nico Setaro both crossed the whitewash 4 teams a piece. The latter also added 7 successful conversions. 

There was a local derby at Pill Parks where Llangwm hosted Pembroke Dock Quins and it was an exciting clash. The visitors won narrowly 28-23, Craig Barnett and Gethin Bradney both scored two tries for the Quins. The Wasps battled hard and will be proud of their performance, Gethin Thomas impressed for the hosts with two tries of his own but it wasn’t enough to secure the points. 

St David’s hosted the high flying Cardigan outfit and were unable to score in reply to the visitors 20 points, with it ending 20-0. The Saints however won’t be losing too much sleep over it as they have had a great season so far. 

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Stephen Crabb leads inquiry on retaining community bank services  

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PRESELI Pembrokeshire MP, and Chair of the Welsh Affairs Select Committee Stephen Crabb is leading an inquiry in Parliament that will investigate the closure of high street banks in Wales, as well as access to cash.

In November 2023, Pembrokeshire saw the closure of Lloyds Bank in St Davids, and in the coming months both Barclays Bank and Halifax in Haverfordwest are set to close. In recent years, Wales has experienced a rapid decline in the number of high street banking services available to the public. Already in 2024, 23 high street bank closures have been announced in Wales, while automated teller machines (ATMs) declined by nearly a quarter between 2018 and 2023.

The Committee willconsider how declining high street banking services are impacting vulnerable people and small businesses across Wales, who are often more reliant on cash than digital banking. It will also examine how Wales is being affected by the loss of high street bank services, and whether the problem is worse in Wales than other parts of the UK.

Mr Crabb is a staunch advocate for retaining community banking facilities, especially in rural communities like Pembrokeshire where many local branches remain the only source of face-to-face banking provision for miles.

Recently Mr Crabb challenged Barclays Bank senior management on their decision to close the bank branch in Haverfordwest– a move that will see Barclays not only pull out of the county town, but means they won’t have a branch left anywhere in Pembrokeshire. He has also engaged with LINK – the UK’s largest cash machine network – and continues to campaign on the basis that a Banking Hub is established and that ATM machines should be retained or installed, especially in areas worst affected by the closures.  

Following the launch of the inquiry, MP Crabb added: “It is really sad to see so many banks across Wales closing as online banking grows in popularity. Despite the advantages of online banking, for a rural community with an ageing population like Pembrokeshire, bank branches hold huge importance as they offer face-to-face customer service.”

“I am acutely aware of the inconvenience that the bank closures locally have already caused following hundreds of replies from constituents to my ‘online banking survey’ ”

“I am looking forward to gathering further evidence on this subject through the committee’s inquiry, and will continue to put pressure on the relevant stakeholders to ensure that adequate alternative provisions are made through the establishment of banking hubs as well as the instalment of ATM machines where necessary.”

“In this inquiry, we are particularly keen to hear from those likely to be directly affected by the shift away from cash and physical banks. I encourage anyone with first-hand experience of losing banking services to give evidence to the Committee”

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Trains resume between Carmarthen and Pembroke Dock as works end

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TRAIN services resumed this morning (Thursday 28 March) after ten days of essential round-the-clock work to upgrade track and drainage between Carmarthen and Pembroke Dock.

The railway was closed from Monday 18 March to Wednesday 27 March to allow Network Rail teams to replace more than 200 metres of track and 300 tonnes of ballast (track stones) between Pembroke station and Pembroke Dock.

Work to improve the drainage between Narbeth and Kilgetty stations was also completed at the same time.

Nick Millington, Network Rail Wales and Borders route director, said: “This essential work in Pembrokeshire demonstrates our commitment to improving the reliability of the service we provide to passengers along our route.

“We know that replacing the track can be disruptive and very noisy, so I would like to thank the residents of Pembroke for their patience while our team carried out this crucial work.”

Colin Lea, Planning and Performance Director at Transport for Wales said: “We’re pleased that our colleagues in Network Rail have completed this essential work and that Transport for Wales rail services resumed today.

“We’d like to thank passengers for their patience while this work has progressed and look forward to welcoming passengers back in time for the Easter weekend.”

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