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| Rowse's new crabber in Toms' shipyard, Polruan. |
The biggest fishing vessel to be built in the Westcountry for 20 years will be heading to her new owner today – although she does not have far to travel on her maiden trip. The 16-metre-long steel crabber was constructed at C Toms and Son boatyard at Polruan in Cornwall, on the River Fowey, for Newlyn firm Rowse Fishing Ltd.
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| Waiting atop the decommissioned crabber, Emma Louise, is boat's new wheelhouse which will be fitted once the hull is towed to Newlyn for fitting out. |
Karen Toms, from the boatbuilding firm, said the completion of such a large vessel was a fitting tribute to the company's 90 years in the business. She said: "We have built longer boats, but in terms of her size overall, she is the largest. It's always very exciting time for us when a new boat is launched and we are celebrating our 90th anniversary this year, so it's great that we're still busy and still building boats here."
Rowse Fishing Ltd is owned and run by husband and wife team Mark and Emma Rowse. Cornwall's fleet of crabbers is known to be particularly sustainable, catching non-vulnerable species with virtually no impact on the sea bed and little by-catch of non-targeted fish. Undersized crabs and lobsters are thrown back into the sea alive. Rowse supplies crab and lobster to both local and international markets, although most is exported to France, Spain and Portugal, which boasts a huge market for species like spider crabs, where it is considered to be a delicacy.
Sustainably fished crab from the Rowse fleet are supplied to local crab processors like M&R Crab in Newlyn.
Over the last two years, the Polruan firm has built a 15-metre steel boat which is now fishing from the Isle of Lewis, and a 12-metre scalloper for an Exmouth firm. The new boat, which has not yet been given a name, will be officially launched in Newlyn on March 31.
Story courtesy of the Western Morning News.