WEATHER IS NOT THE ONLY THING THAT CREATES STORMS IN NEWLYN. NEWLYN.INFO THE LOCAL COMMUNITY WEBSITE APPEARS TO HAVE BEEN SILENCED AS A RESULT OF INCREASINGLY ROBUST COMMENTS ABOUT THE PORTS POOR FINANCIAL PERFORMANCE AND APPARENT MISMANAGEMENT.
A BELGIAN BEAMER APPROACHING THE GAPS IN A SOUTHEASTERLY STORM AS SHOWN ABOVE. NOT A TIME FOR ENGINE TROUBLE, THE SKIPPER NEEDS ALL THE COURAGE OF HIS CONVICTIONS AND NERVES OF STEEL.
The Newlyn “fish scam” saga has recently finally concluded with a bizarre twist that will probably ensure it enters legal history as a particularly noteworthy case.
The defendent a Newlyn trawler owning firm who are also auctioneers and fish merchants, having earlier pleaded guilty was duly sentenced to repay the agreed illegal profits from misdescribing fish species (blackfish) to aviod quota restrictions.
Addtionally a two year conditional discharge in relation to a series of further illegal fishing charges was imposed plus costs, which in reality, probably amounted to a small proportion of the true cost of the lengthy drawn out proceedings to the public purse.
A VICIOUS SOUTH EASTERLY WILL SOMETIMES OVERTOP THE PIERS WHICH GIVEN THE PROSPECTOF GLOBAL WARMING AND RISING SEA LEVELS ARE IN SERIOUS NEED OF ROCK ARMOURING TO TAKE THE STING OUT OF THE HEAVIEST SEAS. THE PRESENT HARBOUR ADMINISTRATION DOES NOT APPEAR TO BE EFFECTIVELY ADDRESSING THIS ISSUE WHICH IS VITAL TO THE HARBOURS LONG TERM FUTURE AS A SAFE REFUGE IN STORM CONDITIONS .
Shortly afterwards it emerged that as the order to repay illegal profits, which was sought by the Asset Recovery Agency, was affected by a recent legal precedent which had established that this course of action could not be attached to the conditional discharge imposed with regard to the other multiple fishing offences.
Subsequently the firm was summoned back to Plymouth Crown Court in order that the legal mistake could be rectified. The conditional discharge was replaced by a token fine of £1 per offence a grand total of £45.
The judge commented that he was mindful of the potential damage a heavier penalty might inflict on the economic and employment prospects in Newlyn were the firm in question to suffer the heavy financial penalties imposed on others convicted in similar previous cases.
The defence team had made great capital out of this possibility throughout the protracted case and are to be congratulated for their skillful and devastatingly effective conduct of the defence in convincing the judge to take this view.
FUELLING VISITING SCALLOPERS IS WELCOME BUSINESS FOR CONSOLS. THE HARBOUR DERIVES VALUABLE REVENUE FROM THESE VESSELS WHO EXPLOIT THE RICH LOCAL BEDS. COULD MORE BE DONE TO INCREASE THIS TRADE., ARE VISITING BOATS PART OF THE SOLUTION TO NEWLYNS INCREASING FINANCIAL WOES? HOPEFULLY EVERYTHING POSSIBLE IS BEING DONE TO ATTRACT THEM.
It is to be sincerely hoped that everyone, AND THAT MEANS EVERYONE, beaurocrats and legislators included has learned some salutory lessons from this unsavoury, unecessarily protracted and very expensive affair which originated during the fishing industrys darkest most lawless days.
The outcome of the case was obviously newsworthy and in certain quarters less than well recieved, in particular recreational sea anglers, rightly or wrongly, were incensed at what they percieved as a “let off” being concerned at the potentially negative impact that could have on current conservation initiatives. Their call for an appeal against the sentence is however, legally, a non starter.
ROCK ARMOUR IS DESPERATELY NEEDED ON THE SOUTH PIER AND IS POTENTIALLY AVAILABLE FROM PENLEE AS PART OF THE MARINA PROJECT.
The various stories that orbited around this affair have been published on the admirable community website www.newlyn.info which had the most welcome facility for readers to add their comments. In the wake of of this affair, along with the other “goings on” in Newlyn, comments were becoming more numerous and increasingly robust as readers became aware as a result of the archived media coverage of the increasingly shambolic situation Newlyn Harbour appears to be descending into.
There is a mistaken perception in parts of the community that Newlyn Harbour is actually owned by a company rather than run by a board of elected commissioners theoretically regulated by an act of Parliment. It necessarily follows that the Commissioners are in reality trustees charged with representing the best interests of all stakeholders rather than any particular vested interest or narrowly defined group of Harbour users.
Over a period of many years increasing concern has been expressed by various stakeholders with regard to the way the harbour has been administered by the Habour Comissioners and their apparent reluctance or inability to comply with the DfT’s Guide to Good Governance in Trust Ports.
This clearly states what is required and should have been complied with by 2002, currently there is no firm indication that the Harbour Commissioners are compliant seven years on.
THE VIISITING SCALLOPERS PAY NEWLYN LANDING DUES AND REQUIRE SERVICES AND SUPPLIES FROM MANY LOCAL BUSINESSES. THE MAJORITY OF VISITING VESSELS DO NOT LAND ANYTHING ONTO NEWLYN MARKET BECAUSE THEY CLAIM THEY CAN GET BETTER RETURNS ELSEWHERE.
This again has led to various unpalatable but nonetheless highly relevant comments about percieved maladministration being posted on the newlyn.info website by a growing number of obviously deeply concerned people who formerly had no outlet to voice their concerns openly in the public domain.
This unaccustomed freedom and increasing openess appears to have ruffled a few feathers within Newlyns tightly knit arguably nepotistic establishment where anonymity and obfuscation appears to have evolved into an art form. Given these unfavourable circumstances for an outbreak of democtacy and accountability an adverse, albeit covert reaction, was not entirely unpredictable.
Could this have anything to do with the disappearance of previously posted comments and the inability to add further posts on newlyn .info’s website?
This has yet again, with all the sublety of a sledge hammer, but nonetheless highly effectively, stifled dissent and legitimate debate. In the process, those within the community who wish to do so have been robbed of a unique opportunity to voice their opinions in a civilised reasoned manner.
If this were to prove to be the case it is an affront to democracy and freedom of expression more akin to the nastiest example of dictatorship in a third world banana republic than what ought to be reasonably expected in a seriously run down Cornish Harbour in urgent need of regime change.
TOP LOCAL BOATS LIKE THE CRYSTAL SEA HAVE GIVEN UP ON NEWLYN MARKET PREFERRING TO SELL THEIR FISH AT PLYMOUTH A SAD REFLECTION ON THE STATE OF AFFAIRS THAT HAS BEEN ALOWED TO DEVELOP IN NEWLYN. HOWEVER THEY STILL PROVIDE VALUED BUSINESS TO FIRMS LIKE CONSOLS WHO ARE PREPARED TO PROVIDE THE LEVEL OF SERVICE DEMANDED.
More especially so since Newlyn is a place with such a potentially dazzling future given that better more innovative, transparent governance and community involvement is introduced sooner rather than later.
THIS FORUM IS HAPPY TO RECIEVE AND PUBLISH ANY RELEVANT COMMENTS WHILE NEWLYN.INFO REMAINS “OFFAIR” THEY MUST BE LEGAL TRUTHFUL AND CONSTRUCTIVE.
ALSO SEE EARLIER POSTS THAT ARE AVAILABLE ON KEVINS BLOG AND ALSO DISPLAYED IN THE NEWLYN.ORG LISTINGS THEY ARE ON THE PAGE UNDER A CONSOLS OILS HEADING AND ILLUSTRATE THE PROTRACTED NATURE OF THIS SAGA.
THE PROPOSED EXTENSION TO THE SOUTH PIER WOULD HELP PREVENT THE WORST SEAS OVERTOPPING THE NORTH PIER AND MAKE IT EASIER TO ENTER THE GAPS IN EXTREME SOUTH EASTERLY CONDITIONS. IT WOULD ALSO GIVE SOME DEGREE OF SHELTER TO TOLCARNE.
