Tag Archives: F/V Star of Annan
Fisherman found guilty of illegal dredging off Scotland’s north west coast
Skipper Alex Murray was convicted yesterday following a three-day trial at Stornoway Sheriff Court. The 56-year-old of Lewis was in charge of the F/V Star of Annan while it was operating within the Wester Ross Marine Protection Area. Sheriff Gordon Lamont deferred sentence for two weeks at the same court. Murray had denied a charge of dredging for scallops in the banned area on 18th July 2019. During the trial he maintained the fishing equipment was stuck underneath the vessel and could not be properly hauled back in due to engine and hydraulic machinery problems. >click to read< 09:03
Fishermen fall ill after WW2 chemical bomb they dragged aboard in their nets explodes
A group of fishermen had to be quarantined after a World War Two shell containing chemicals exploded on their boat. The four men had hauled up the bomb in their nets when it detonated. From the Oban-based Star of Annan, the crew were all taken to hospital after the phosphorous inside the shell burst into flames. It was only hours after the potentially lethal explosion when all four of the crew started to feel unwell with chest pains, stomach pains and streaming eyes that the alarm was raised. One crew member, who asked not to be named, told the Record: “The boat took a roll and, whatever happened, the thing went off. If this stuff touches steel it starts fizzing and ignites immediately. Within seconds the smoke was so thick the lads in their bunks down below could not see each other. “They couldn’t even see the ladder to get out. In the space of a couple of minutes the fire had turned the steel white hot. We found out later some crab claws we had on deck near it were completely cooked through. It was intense. Read the story here 10:21
