Newlyn skipper, John Turtle has been granted £10,000 of Objective 1 Fisheries funding to upgrade the fishroom and install refrigeration on his vessel, the ‘Ben Loyal’.

The layout of the fishroom will be altered so it is easier and safer for the crew to work in. The new fishroom floor will be coated with a fibreglass material that will make it less slippery, last longer and not wear as easily as wood. This will enable the crew to maintain a higher standard of hygiene and complete the cleaning of the fishroom in less time.

New refrigeration facilities, to keep the fish at a constant temperature throughout the trip, will also be installed, which will lead to a higher quality of fish and therefore higher prices on the market.

The new fishroom will also store new box space so that the fish can be protected from being crushed or bruised, which damages the fish as a whole and therefore lowers the value.

To further improve the quality of the fish, the hatch into the fishroom will be made smaller, which will reduce the amount of heat that enters when it is opened. This is extremely important, as fish need to be kept cool to maintain quality. Any rise in temperature results in the fish deteriorating.

John Turtle, skipper and part owner of the ‘Ben Loyal, added "Because of reduced quotas we need to make better returns from the fish we are allowed to catch. Improving quality is one way in which we can maximise the value of our catch at first sale."