Work is about to start on the installation of a vital new £1.2m ice production facility for Plymouth Fisheries at Sutton Harbour, England’s second largest fresh fish market.
Working with Plymouth Trawler Agents Ltd, this investment by Sutton Harbour Holdings plc, which owns Plymouth Fisheries, is being part funded by a £400,000 grant from the European Fisheries Fund (EFF), administered by the Marine Management Organisation (MMO).
It will enable Plymouth Fisheries to run four separate machines capable of producing 30 tonnes of ice over a 24 hour period. Work on the new facility will start in early August and be completed before the end of the year.
Alison Pessell of Plymouth Trawler Agents Ltd, which operates the auctions at Plymouth Fisheries, said: “The new ice plant will play a very important part in the preservation of a successful fishing industry in Plymouth. The industry revolves around the chill chain, the trawlers need a constant supply of ice, as does the market during the sorting process and the buyers shipping out the stock.”
Having four ice machines and separate storage units means that Plymouth Fisheries will be able to offer a continuous supply even if one machine is undergoing maintenance.
Plymouth Fisheries plays a significant role in the UK's south west economy and is seen by many as the fisheries hub for the region. The market sells 6,000 tonnes of fish on average per year and the value of fish and shellfish landed at the market during the last financial year was £17.35m.
