NEW SATELLITE COMMUNICATION AWARD FOR 'OUR OCEAN HARVESTER'
January 2002

Trelawney Fishing Company has been awarded a £2,000 Objective 1 Fisheries grant to install a state of the art satellite communication system on the Newlyn based vessel 'Our Ocean Harvester'.

The new system will replace the current analog mobile phones, which are now useless when vessels are over 30 miles offshore. The system will enable the crew to transmit information to Trelawney Fish, a fish merchant, by e-mail, fax or telex.

This helps the skipper secure the best prices for his fish, as he can talk to merchants about the best time to land to the market. If the markets have a large amount of fish, the prices are lower, if the skipper can land when there is little other fish, prices will be higher. The project also helps the vessel ensure a consistent supply of fish to Newlyn, as the skipper will land on days when the merchants need fish, when there is limited other supply.

In addition, the crew feel safer at sea when they can keep in touch with other vessels and family. If there is an emergency they can contact ashore at any time.

Alison Elvey, Objective 1 Fisheries Programme Manager stated, "Introducing modern communications technology is very important in the fishing industry, especially when it helps smooth out gluts and oversupply of fish to the markets. In addition, any project which can help fishing vessels maximise prices is very important to securing a future for fishing."

Godfrey Adams, Project Manager of Trelawney Fish stated "This technology gives us the exact location of the vessel at any time, which is an essential safety factor. It allows us to inform the skipper of market conditions, and also the skipper to inform his agents and producers organisation of his catch and possible landing days. We are very pleased to have secured a grant for what we believe will become an invaluable safety and marketing tool."
 

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