BRIXHAM is on track to retain its title as the top grossing port in England and Wales, after more than £15million worth of fish was landed since January.

Auctioneers Brixham Trawler Agents are delighted the value of the year's haul looks good — and the major revamp work on the dockside hasn't slowed up their business.

There is always a bit of a winter rush from October to Christmas, and market chiefs are hoping for some bumper last-minute catches before the Christmas market shutdown.

But they think things may not run so smoothly next year, because BTA's staff will be split between several portable buildings while multi-million pound regeneration work starts in earnest on the chill stores, offices and market hall.

BTA, operated by local boat owners, is happy the building work is on track but spokesman Rick Smith said: "It's a continuous process, keeping up with changes and planning ahead.

"We've just had big talks over the new refrigeration plant.

"Most of the old market will remain but will only be used for handling cuttlefish, to prevent any contamin- ation with the whitefish which will be moved to the separate new area."

The separation has been at the insistence of environmental health officers and follows good industry practice, keeping the cuttle's defence mechanism — a blackish ink — from spoiling high-priced plaice, sole, turbot and sea bass. Cuttle is worth more than £2million a year in landings and is a popular catch with local fishermen for the export market because there are no quota limits set by the EU.

The auctioneers, who lease most of the facilities from Torbay Council including the ice and marine fuel provision, are working out a new management agreement.

Torbay takes a set percentage of value as landlords, and there are concessionary rates for local skippers who send their catches back to the auction from distant ports.

BTA operates by charging five per cent of the fish landed and merchants pay one per cent. The local authority takes 2.5 per cent of the value.

Regeneration has been a very slow process in the making, with grants taking time to be agreed and the planning process not always straightforward.

But enthusiasm is improving. Mr Smith said: "The original sceptics seem more enthusiastic now. Now they see things taking shape like the work on site by contractors Dean and Dyball, they feel differently."

The new offices will have slightly higher rents, some processors will be moving into purpose-built employment units alongside Overgang Hill, and the only permanent loss will probably be the Devon Sea Fisheries office.

The regulators and enforcement body is already planning to shift its operations to the new Kingswear leisure and business complex planned at the old Noss Works site at Kingswear.

Brixham harbour- master's staff of the Torbay Development Agency, Defra officers, small export firms and the Brixham deep sea pilots and shipping agency will still be a familiar presence.

The main innovation will be a combined seafood restaurant and fishmongers right on the dockside.

Torbay Development Agency, which has been pushing the regeneration scheme for more than five years, sees this as an ideal opportunity to promote the port's reputation for top quality fish.

It has mainly gone for the more expensive species in the past, and more than 75 per cent is exported because continental buyers are prepared to pay a good price for quality catches.

Looking at the success of Rick Stein in Padstow and his follow-on promotions for seafood on TV and through books which have boosted Cornish tourism, the Bay's strategic planners hope the huge public investment in the waterfront will be a real catalyst.