New market's first catch could be record price

FORCE 10 gales and television cameras couldn't prevent fearless skipper Antony Shine's trawler from being the first to land a catch at Brixham's new fish market.

Antony will make history tomorrow when his bumper catch is the first to be traded at the port's new multi-million-pound market.

Phase one of the development was completed earlier this year, providing a new extended quay deck, employment units, infrastructure and associated services such as power and water supplies.

Contractors Dean and Dyball started work on phase two of the scheme at the end of June, including the market's steel structure.

But with the market now ready to open, recent gale-force weather threatened to put an early dampener on proceedings, with the elements preventing trawlers leaving port.

Antony's Angel Emiel beam trawler was one of only a handful of South West boats to set out to sea.

He and his crew travelled to Start Point on Saturday and filled 130 boxes with fish.

His determination seems to have paid off, because with so few boats venturing out, his catch is due to fetch record prices.

However, as well as enduring the gales, the crew had to retrieve its fishing gear after suffering winch failure and returned to port for repairs.

He said: "We should make £15,000, which is a £4,000 improvement on what we'd normally make for such a haul.

"That's for a couple of days, which isn't bad. The auctioneers say we'll be the only catch there tomorrow when the market starts trading.

"It'll be a milestone in Brixham history. The market is the best thing which has happened in the town for a long time.

"The fleet's been improved and now the market's going to be up to scratch.

"We catch the fully matured fish down here, so with the new market we should be able to compete with anywhere in the country."

The Angel Emiel trawlermen also had to work around a film crew making a series about the British fishing industry.

Cameramen from Ricochet TV, based in Brighton, jumped aboard the boat last Saturday to capture life on the very high seas.

They were filming for a six-part series, provisionally entitled Trawler Towns, due to be aired on the Discovery channel next autumn.

Antony said: "It's all been good fun."

Antony is going to watch his fish being sold at 7am tomorrow, before heading back to sea at lunchtime.

Work on a restaurant and office facilities at the fish quay are due to be finished in August 2010.