News / Contracts pave way for new fish market
A SHETLAND civil engineering firm has won two contracts worth £5.6 million to develop Lerwick harbour for the fishing and offshore energy industry.
Tulloch Developments have already started reclaiming 1.45 hectares of land at Mair’s Yard next to the Holmsgarth ferry terminal where a new white fish market is to be built.
The development, which includes a 151 metre long quay with a water depth of six metres, is costing £3.17 million and should be completed by July next year.
Lerwick Port Authority obtained a £965,283 grant from the European Fisheries Fund to help pay for the work.
Design work on the new fish market will commence this autumn with construction scheduled to begin in 2014.
Port chief executive Sandra Laurenson said the existing fish market, which had a £160,000 extension built in 2009, is too shallow for berthing fishing boats and has extremely poor road access for trucks.
The new energy efficient facility will make it easier to handle fish once they have been landed and hopefully attract more fishing boats.
She added that the land reclamation will also provide more space in an area congested with net and gear handling.
“The new quay and the proposed replacement market will reinforce Lerwick’s well-established position as a leading centre for the fishing industry and underline our commitment to the sector,” she said.
Tulloch Developments have also won a £2.4 million contract to build a new 75 metre quay at Greenhead next to the recently completed 100 metre quay called Berth 7.
Laurenson said the success of Berth 7 in attracting big offshore oil and gas support ships had been a catalyst for commissioning the new quay, which is due to be built between April and October next year.
“It will primarily service the offshore industry and, along with the fishing-related development, is another example of our delivering the requirements of current and future users.”
The first half of this year has seen a 43 per cent increase in the number of oil-related vessels visiting the port, with the tonnage rising by 77 per cent and cargo going up by 58 per cent on the same period last year.
The port authority has invested £20 million in developing the harbour over the past four years.
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