Skipper of the ‘Sea Hawke’ Roger Nowell has been awarded an Objective 1 Fisheries grant for £1,500 to improve fish storing facilities on board his vessel.

The small net trawler, which fishes from Newlyn, will have an insulated fishroom installed to keep the fish chilled before it is landed.

It is extremely important to keep the fish stored at a low temperature to maintain its quality. The new fish room will provide cooler storage conditions, which will raise the value of the fish when it is sold on the market.

Refrigeration on board fishing vessels is vital especially in the summer months when keeping fish cool can be difficult. Vessels without refrigeration have to land fish within hours of catching it, to prevent the fish from deteriorating, which shortens trips and wastes valuable fishing time.

Roger Norwell, skipper of the ‘Sea Hawke’ added "I am delighted to receive the grant. The new fish room will improve the quality of my catch, as the fish will be stored at a cooler temperature. It will also enable me to take less ice out to sea as the ice will not melt as quickly in the cooler conditions."