Tag Archives: Wales
Fisherman rescues mysterious ‘ghost boat’ drifting off Pembrokeshire coast
A fisherman rescued a mysterious ghost boat drifting eight miles off the Pembrokeshire coast this morning (July 27). Milford Coastguard were contacted about an adrift vessel which prompted a Fishguard lifeboat to locate the boat and confirm no-one was on board. This was before Matt Lewis and his crew proceeded to the last known position of the vessel and the boat was towed in eight miles northwest of Strumble Head back to Fishguard Harbour where the ship was safely moored. In a Facebook post, Matt said: “Not the usual morning fishing. Myself, Vince Gyseman, Iwan Davies and Jack Wallace located and towed in a ghost boat drifting. “The ten metre steel fishing boat was initially reported by Stena Nordica some eight miles northwest of Strumble Head. It had parted ways with its tow vessel twice between Plymouth and St David’s Head. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 13:17
Reason why RNLI declined to give stricken trawler a tow to port except as last resort
A disabled scallop trawler was forced to jettison its fishing gear as it drifted towards shipping lanes off Anglesey. An all-weather lifeboat (ALB) from Moelfre put to sea for eight hours after answering an emergency call for from the trawler. The 14-metre vessel found itself at the mercy of the currents after suffering a mechanical failure around 12 miles north of Puffin Island. Concerned about posing a risk to ships, its crew issued a Pan Pan call – a request for urgent help while not being in immediate danger. The RNLI crew discovered the vessel’s derricks (lifting gear) were stuck down and its scallop dredges were hanging some five meters beneath the surface. These are heavy-duty metal framed nets that are pulled over the seabed to harvest scallops. Photos, more, >>CLICK TP READ<< 19:18
‘I’m a fisherman who hasn’t caught a fish in two years because of ridiculous Welsh laws’
It’s a boggy December morning on the Cleddau river and Alun Lewis is tending to his four miniature horses and a few boats moored up on his four acres of land. We’re in the quiet hamlet of Landshipping that looks out onto the large expanse of water which is otherwise only 50 or so feet wide at other times of the year. It is prime time for Alun – one of the world’s last six compass net fishers – to don his waders and float his little handmade 150-year-old wooden boat towards the estuary. Compass net fishing has been in Alun’s family for generations. His grandfather, Dennis Lewis, died in the boat in 1966 after he had a heart attack on the water. He was found by Alun and his father, Glyndwr Lewis, floating on the river in the boat the following morning. Glyndwr, who died last month aged 92, is pictured in the boat with his father and siblings as a small child. photos, more, <<click to read<< 07:01
Nicola Faith: Fishermen were probably ‘trapped on deck’ when boat capsized, inquest hears
Three fishermen who drowned probably died because they were trapped on deck when their boat capsized, an inquest has heard. Ross Ballantine, 39, Alan Minard, 20, and skipper Carl McGrath, 34, all died after the Nicola Faith fishing boat went down off the Conwy coast in January 2021. All three men’s bodies were recovered from the coastline off the Wirral and Blackpool in March 2021. The boat itself was discovered a month later on 13 April 2021, and was eventually raised in May 2021 using a 43m long crane barrage. A report following their deaths revealed the boat was not fit to sail, and there were “various faults” with the ship, including a lack of proper safety equipment. >click to read< 11:14
F/V Nicola Faith: The deadly mistakes that led to the boat capsizing and killing three men
A report into the death of three men who died in the Nicola Faith sinking tragedy has been published. The deaths sent shockwaves through the fishing industry after the boat capsized and sank. Carl McGrath, 34, Ross Ballantine, 39, and Alan Minard, 20, lost their lives on board the vessel after it left Conwy Harbour on January 27 last year. It later sunk 1.9 miles north of Rhos-on-Sea, near Colwyn Bay. The 58-page report, written by the Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) highlights a series of operational failings as Mr McGrath sought extra productivity in his bid to buy the boat outright. Here, below, we set out a timeline of events that led to the tragedy. It covers in detail the day of the boat’s disappearance and the subsequent search operation. >click to read< 12:40
F/V Nicola Faith: Fisherman’s ‘harsh working conditions’ revealed in investigation
Carl McGrath, 34, Ross Ballantine, 39, and Alan Minard, 20, were on board the Nicola Faith when it left Conwy Harbour on January 27, 2021. It capsized and sank 1.9 miles north of Rhos-on-Sea. A report by the Marine Accident Investigation Branch found skipper Carl McGrath pushed his crew harder than most in search of greater productivity. Aged 34, Mr McGrath had been the boat’s skipper for some three years. Previously a builder and steel fabricator, he had had no fishing experience prior to skippering the Nicola Faith. Despite this, he had completed all mandatory fishing industry safety training courses. Neither had Ross Ballantine, 39, any prior experience of fishing before taking a job on the Nicola Faith, on which he had been working for about eight months. The youngest crew member was Alan Minard, 20, who had been crewing on Nicola Faith for just two weeks. >click to read< 14:00
Fuel Crisis: Fuel costs ‘jeopardising’ UK fishing fleet
Soaring fuel costs have now risen to a “level that jeopardises the viability of parts of the fleet” and could affect supply from UK fishing boats over the coming months, the National Federation of Fishermen’s Organisations has warned.The viability of the fleet was currently being supported by high fish prices, the industry body said this week. However, the sector was still in an “inherently unstable and fragile balance”, which could soon result in vessels being taken out of the water. The four fishing federations representing England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland that make up the NFFO recently met with fisheries minister Victoria Prentis to warn about the fuel “crisis engulfing the fishing industry”, it said. > click to read < 08:46
Lockdown Lobsters: How Brexit has impacted lobster fishing on the Llŷn Peninsula
Sion Williams is a third generation lobster fisherman on the Llŷn Peninsula. But in March 2020, with the onset of the pandemic, he had to restructure his business in order to adapt. “Between Brexit and Covid there was uncertainty with buyers,” When coronavirus hit, everything changed suddenly for Sion, as it did for so many other people: “All I got was a text from the traders saying ‘we don’t want anything for five weeks and maybe five months’. And that was it.” Everything was closed and they couldn’t sell. >click to read< 07:55
‘You’re gonna need a bigger boat’ – monster 6ft cod landed in seaside town
A record-breaking monster cod has been snapped up by punters in a British seaside town. The humongous sea creature weighs a whopping 112lbs (51 kg) and measures almost 6ft (180cm) tall. It was pulled off the coast of Iceland in by fishermen aboard the trawler Bergey and landed on Monday (April 4) in Grimsby, Lincs. The cod, which is believed to be the largest ever hooked in the North Atlantic, and could be 20 years old, was line caught in deep water off Iceland’s North-West coast. >click to read< 09:06
F/V Nicola Faith investigation complete almost a year after wreck was raised
The investigation into the sinking Nicola Faith fishing boat which claimed the lives of its crew is now complete almost one year after the vessel was found. Carl McGrath, 34, Ross Ballantine, 39, and Alan Minard, 20, were on board the vessel when it left Conwy Harbour on January 27, 2021. The wreckage was lifted from the seabed last May in a two day operation before being transported to a secure location for further investigation. The Marine Accident Investigation Branch are due to report their findings in a report to be published in the coming weeks. >click to read< 09:08
Trawlers and Milford Haven’s history
As promised, in TRM Trawler Corner this week is Shielburn M15, a steel sided trawler built in Aberdeen in 1911, which landed at Milford from May 1915 to January 1919, and from February 1945 to April 1956. Her previous names were Ann Ford Melville and Star of Freedom but became Shielburn in 1933. Here’s an incident reported in a WW Guardian in June 1946. “Fifty miles with death sounds like the title of a thriller, but it was more than a thrill for the crew of the steam trawler Shielburn which steamed throughout Tuesday night with a live mine on the deck on top of a pile of fish. >click to read< 14:50
UK Fishing Industry Statistics
The fishing industry of the UK was progressing quite successfully, but within the last few years, there has been a decline in the number of workers and overall landings by the fishermen. This can be due to many reasons such as the environmental problems that affect the breeding of the fishes, excessive fishing, the tough lifestyle of fishermen with the many risks involved, change of tastes and preferences of the consumers, etc. The following stats depict the same in terms of numbers. >click to read< 12:59
Two messages in two bottles wash up in the same week from the same Crab fisherman!
Amanda Tidmarsh was over the moon when she found the note inside the glass receptacle. It was from a snow crab fisherman named John Graham, who left his email for the finder to contact him. The 52-year-old, from Brynna, did just that and is now waiting to hear back from the seafarer. “When I found it I thought it was lovely – got all this way without being smashed. I thought there was something inside it, it’s like treasure,” >click to read< and, Brothers Oisín, and Eoghan O’Doherty from Greencastle along with Odhran O’Sullivan discovered a message in a bottle while holidaying in Co. Kerry. >click to read< 09:30
‘Inspirational’ Colin builds boat for Bardsey Island crossings
Colin Evans, who lives in Uwchmynydd, has crafted the boat in his workshop. Two years of planning and another two years of hard work have gone into the project. In addition to being an island ferry, it can be used as a high-speed inshore fishing boat or platform service vessel. There is a high demand for this class of craft and the moulds now permit easy re-production. The boat has just been rolled out of the production shed, where final fitting out is taking place >click to read<20:04
F/V Nicola Faith: Crowd burst into applause fisherman’s funeral cortege travels through Welsh town
The Nicola Faith fishing vessel disappeared near Conwy on January 27. Its three crewmen, skipper Carl McGrath, 34, Ross Ballantine, 39, and Alan Minard, 20, were onboard at the time. An extensive search for the trio and their vessel was launched and the bodies of the three men were discovered at different coastal locations in England on three consecutive days in March. On Thursday, the funeral of Mr McGrath was held at St Mary’s Church in Conwy with restricted numbers due to ongoing Covid-19 guidelines, but many of his family and friends were able to pay tribute as his funeral cortege made its way through the town. >click to read< 07:38
Private search for F/V Nicola Faith and three crew members is underway today
Led by ocean recovery expert David Mearns, the search began at 6am this morning (March 20). Money for the search was raised through a Go Fund Me page set up by the families of the three fishermen, Ross Ballantine, Alan Minard, and skipper Carl McGrath, 34 who went missing on January 27. 
The sister of one of the missing crew members, Ross Ballantine, thanked people for their support this morning. Lucy Ballantine said: “Well the day has arrived, Three bodies were discovered in the Wirral and Blackpool last weekend. Police say the families of the three fishermen have been “kept informed,” however, since then no formal identification has been made >click to read< 15:30
Bodies of three men recovered off the Wirral and Blackpool
The families of missing crew members from the fishing boat F/V Nicola Faith have been informed after three bodies were recovered from the coastline off the Wirral and Blackpool over the weekend. North Wales Police confirmed it has been in contact with colleagues from Merseyside and Lancashire police, and it is awaiting the outcome of the post mortem examinations. Alan Minard, 20, Ross Ballantine, 39, and the boat’s skipper Carl McGrath, 34, were declared missing after their fishing vessel the Nicola Faith failed to return to port on January 27. video, >click to read< 14:43
Private search for fishing vessel that disappeared with three men aboard to start this week
The Nicola Faith failed to return to port at Conwy on 27 January. A search for Ross Ballantine, 39, Alan Minard, 20, and skipper Carl McGrath, 34, was called off after two days. Ocean recovery expert David Mearns, who found wreckage of the plane carrying footballer Emiliano Sala, is helping their families with technical advice. A life raft from the boat was found off Kirkcudbrightshire in Scotland by HM Coastguard and has been positively identified by the Marine Accident Investigation branch (MAIB). An investigation, run by the MAIB, is taking place and has included sonar surveys. The families are hoping their private searches will bring additional expertise to the investigation . >click to read< 07:26
Three crew members missing after life raft from F/V Nicola Faith washed ashore
The raft was found off the coast of Kirkcudbrightshire in southwest Scotland by the HM Coastguard yesterday. The Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) has positively identified the raft as being from the Nicola Faith, which went missing with its three crew members off the coast of Colwyn Bay in North Wales on January 27. “The search for the vessel, which is being co-ordinated by the MAIB, is continuing. >click to read< 08:37
Families bid for private sea search to find missing Conwy fishermen
Families of three fishermen missing off the Welsh coast have sought advice from an expert nicknamed “shipwreck hunter” in a bid to find their loved ones. Ocean recovery expert David Mearns, who found wreckage of the plane carrying footballer Emiliano Sala, is helping the families with “technical advice”. Now they are trying to raise £75,000 to pay for a private search to find Ross Ballantine, 39, Alan Minard, 20, and skipper Carl McGrath, 34. Their vessel was last seen in January. The Nicola Faith crew failed to return to port at Conwy in north Wales after a fishing trip on 27 January. >click to read< 10:22
Missing fisherman’s mum ‘not ready to say goodbye’ after family already hit by tragedy
A mum whose son is missing at sea has spoken about her “unbearable pain”. Carl McGrath and his two crewmates Alan Minard and Ross Ballantine were on board the Nicola Faith, which was due back into port at midnight last Wednesday, but never returned to Conwy. Despite a huge search and multiple reports of debris across the coast, no trace of the boat or those on board has yet been found. Carl’s devastated mum Julie, who has already lost a son, says she’s “not ready to say goodbye” to 34-year-old Carl. >click to read< 09:37
Missing fishermen named as Irish Sea search continues
A fishing boat crew missing off the north Wales coast since Wednesday night has been named as Alan Minard, Ross Ballantine and skipper Carl McGrath. The three men were working on the Nicola Faith,,, A major search operation, including coastguard teams and RNLI lifeboats, moved into a second day on Friday. The Coastguard said the alarm was raised on Thursday at 10:00 GMT and a major operation, including seven RNLI lifeboat crews and three coastguard search teams, was launched. >click to read< 10:38
Coronavirus impacts the UK seafood supply chains – Selling fish directly to consumers.
Fishermen like those aboard the netter Stelissa, are trying to keep the UK supplied with fresh fish – you can help by going online to the FishOnFriday website and buying your fresh fish – in some cases – direct from the boat itself! We’ve created guides to explain what you need to do to meet the regulations. They also highlight the food safety requirements that apply. Guides for England and Scotland are available to download below, Further guidance for Northern Ireland and Wales will be added here shortly. >click to read< 07:57
