A new £1.7 million harbour in Ardveenish, Barra, has been officially opened.
Local fishing boats “dressed” in flags and bunting packed out the harbour while the Feis Bharraigh pipers, dancers and a Gaelic choir entertained the crowd.
Yesterday’s (Sun) ceremony coincided with the island’s annual outdoor Fishermen’s Mass followed by a “blessing of the boats.”
Despite the rain, well over 300 people attended the event, reinforcing how vital
fishing is for the 1,100-
Construction was made possible when Western Isles Council put up the bulk of the funding. The Coastal Communities Fund and Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) also contributed. Building work was undertaken by Macinnes Brothers.
Former councillor, Capt Roddy Mackinnon, formally opened the facility.
Following mass Fr. John Paul Mackinnon blessed the boats.
The Barratlantic seafood factory provided the land for the harbour.
Factory manager, Donald Maclean, said it was “fantastic” to see it open.
He added: “We’ve been waiting for this since a disaster in 2005 when there were three boats lost here. That was a big blow.
“Lets hope it’s a big turning point in the fishing industry in Barra,” as skippers invest a significant amount of cash in new vessels.
He added: “There’s three new boats bought in the last four months so there’s 11 boats now working out of Barra which is a huge achievement for a small island.
“Things are looking up and lets hope that in years to come we’ll see more boats coming in, securing more jobs on the island and at sea.”
Councillor Donald Manford stressed: “This is a marvellous achievement and a huge vote of confidence in the fishing industry, particularly for the fishing fleet in Barra and Vatersay.
Both islands are still a “vibrant fishing community” despite all the difficult times, he added.
Angus Macleod, skipper of the MFV Aquarius, said the harbour gave shelter from south westerly gales and allowed for further expansion of the fleet.
The event at the far north western edge of Europe comes just after the Brexit vote.
Most Western Isles fishermen are delighted to be leaving the EU due to the restrictive quotas and rules which fail to account for local circumstances. EU environmental designations also hamper or even ban trawling in traditional fishing grounds.
The Barratlantic shellfish factory is supplied by the island’s fishing fleet and is a vital onshore employer.
The firm exports to the continent -
New £1.7 million harbour is opened
11 July 2016