oxna

Last year we saw Spanish boats based in Lerwick landing millions of pounds worth of fish caught around Shetland loaded onto huge container trucks before being whisked off to Europe yet we going around with a begging bowl to fund vital services . Are we stupid or what ? Can you imagine a similar situation in Iceland or Faroe or Norway ?

But many will argue that that all happened in any event to a large extent prior to the CFP days as the allocation of the fishing quota for the CFP was based on historical fishing effort in the 1970’s. Realistically, the eventual outcome of the brexit negotiations could well be that the status quo will more or less remain, in terms of the distribution of fishing quotas, as it’s unlikely that the government will be prepared to lose its access to EU markets, be they the financial markets, fish exports or whatever, however unpalatable such an outcome may be perceived. Compromises will inevitably have to be made and those representing the industry will have to be realistic, for their own credibility if nothing else, in terms of what is achievable, as otherwise there’s going to be a lot of disappointment in the industry. It’s a complicated picture for certain but many also claim that the CFP, though it has clearly had its problems, has worked to a large extent in terms of maintaining sustainable stock levels, which may otherwise have been exploited to extinction. The woes of the industry do not therefore all relate to the CFP, many will argue. Overfishing (legitimate or otherwise) has obviously played its part; successive UK governments have also been complicit in the industry’s problems in privatising what is essentially a public resource (fishing rights), 67% of which is now in the hands of 25 private businesses; UK licences, dished out by the government free of charge based on historical fishing effort, have also been traded outwith the UK fishing fleet to EU boat owners following what was essentially the government’s privatisation of those licences and, by implication, large parts of the industry as a whole. Arguably, the under 10-metre fleet, often deploying the most sustainable methods of fishing and representing 75% of the UK fishing fleet in terms of numbers, has had the poorest deal of the lot and now has only a 2% share of the remaining pool quota between them. In the interests of fairness and of redressing this historical imbalance, one of the many challenges will be for the government to include those boats in any fish quota reclaimed in the transitional period as part of the post-brexit negotiations. What isn’t in dispute is that the fishing industry is vitally important to Shetland’s economy, going well beyond the income of those employed directly in it, and we’ll all have to wait and see what the eventual outcome will be, but it’s unlikely to be plain sailing in what is far from a black and white scenario.

Completely agree, had Jeremy Corbyn been elected PM that would have been an unmitigated financial disaster for the country. A very disrespectful and biased piece to read.

Not been in one in Shetland for over 10 years. No intention to go back either. If there was a decent one that served good food and accepted children I may be persuaded, occasionally, as I enjoy that when outwith Shetland.

What about a 'test" for ill-considered knee-jerk comments amongst those who are unfamiliar with the definition of "drugs" and even less so with the concept of the human rights process. That "test" could be the next local election?!

The most unbelievable bit to this story is that CC's intention was to make his "boat" seaworthy!? Another attention-seeking child-like stunt more like.

Why do women always leave the toilet seat down? Seriously, they should be told that that isn't the universally accepted default position!

Should men also be allowed in women's toilets and vice versa?

Shetland isn't awash with A-List celebrity actors with Shetland dialects and there are even fewer prolific crime writers. A reasonable effort, however, is my assessment and for those who seek to be unduly critical I say - could you do better? If so, have a go! Oxna

What petty insignificant nonsense.

You do not require any formal consents bur it does need to comply with the building regs in terms of distance from combustable walls, size of hearth, positioning of flu, clearance from roof structure etc. You should speak to Building Control who will guide you through the process. Also, tell your insurance company about the installation as this may have a bearing on their assessment of risk and you want to be absolutely sure you are covered in the event of a fire. Hope that helps.

Has the management sorted out the ridiculous pricing structure yet as I have not been for a few months:- family of five £12; sticky sweets £4!?

This, to my mind, is crazy and many have commented to me on the obvious disparity. I imagine they are trying to get people through the doors so that they then buy the £4 sweets etc but the ticket prices are much too low to cover the running costs of a 12 Million venue in my view.

Seems a draconian measure for the authorities to take. Have they put up signs prohibiting vehicle sales? If so, just put a sign up saying "This vehicle is not for sale. I may decide to sell it in the future at a price of £SPECIFY. If interested, please call SPECIFY. Oxna

Does anyone ever catch Char in the Girlsta Loch? I have been aware for some time that they exist so any recent experiences would be interesting in terms of numbers, average sizes etc, Thanks, Oxna

Good to get some positive feedback on the local eateries!

Steak, however, albeit that I like steak immensely, is about as easy a meal to cook as one could imagine, isn't it? Get a decent cut, don't incinerate the veg, get a nice red and Bob's your mother's brother. All within about 15 minutes too with a red wine reduction to boot!

Just been to Busta for a meal in the bar. Nice food, if a little expensive, but with the long room ambience etc, it is a welcome change to what is invariably a Lerwick food lottery.

Oxna

quote="piggywiggie"]So had our meal at the Lerwick hotel last night. Went for the steaks(as usual) and it was fab! The husband had a scrummy looking slice of tart for his pudding and it looked delish! If I hadn't have been stuffed I would have had also! Top marks for Lerwick hotel from us as usual. They woman serving(seemed to be manager) was very friendly.

And yes....(naughty I know) but after standing watching the procession and getting soaked we decided to grab a cone of chips from the happy haddock. They were delish! So fresh!

Yes, I think it's fair to say that we all rely on subsidies to a greater or lesser degree and doubtless there would be good arguments to close Shetland down all together. I suppose, however, it's a question of degree and in this difficult financial climate it is inevitable that those receiving the most and contributing least will come under the spotlight. That is a difficult thing to quantify but at the end of the day I would be surprised if any Shetland island community, enjoying a heavily subsidised ferry service, is a net contributer in financial terms. The same doubtless applies to Shetland as a whole or even Scotland but, as I say, it is a question of degree. Oxna.

On reading an article in The Scotsman today, I was surprised to learn that the Yell ferry service alone costs in excess of £10,000 per day to run!? I am not intending to highlight Yell in particular but in the context of sustainability arguments these figures are truly astounding especially when compared with what must be extremely modest receipts from passenger and vehicle fares.

It is a relatively isolated problem specific to a batch of "Sullom blocks" from a certain era and which a competent Surveyor should pick up on. Basically too much constructed during the boom period with insufficient quality control procedures in place. Oxna.

It's a lot to do with economy of scale, the same as most businesses. The major difference, however, is that the subsidies afforded to the crofting "industry" are in excess of the entire revenues generated by the crofting, believe it or not. Is that a sustainable situation?

Very good! Put this to the National Press,seriously!!!!!!

Early sighting of the chartered plane.......

 

http://www.dyesubforum.co.uk/tescp.jpg

Keep quiet but they also do a good Chinese/Indian/Orkney drop off of your choice and at your location. To account for trajectory and weather, if you are in Lerwick, for example, your drop is guaranteed to land somewhere in Shetland or slightly to the east'ish. Great service and they do rescues too!

Yes, this tropical weather will have ruined it.

What a wonderful by-product the arrival of the hercs will be, and now that the I'm alright Jacks have filled their cupboards, freezers and fridges to bursting point the rest of us will be able to get the fresh stuff. Thank you.

 

Mmm - ah yes the "fresh stuff" that's been sitting festering in the back of a lorry for the last few days..

So, the SIC is to be scrutinising the Mareel business plan for fiscal probity in advance of a decision on whether to advance funds, be it a grant or a loan or an overdraft facility? Surely, the SIC really ought to know the nature of the proposed financial transaction before it embarks upon such scrutiny particularly in view of its track record - Norrona, AHS, Bressay Bridge ... the SIC etc?

I start next week and my first task will be to change your nappy.

No, you're certainly not ready for the big school, yet.

 

In that case, you can look on in jealousy from nursery. Btw, you've kicked your toys out of the pram again.

You can be assured the Coop wouldn't think of something like this. This will make the National newspapers for sure. A good management decision.

I am sure someone at Tesco has calculated that hiring a plane will not result in any great loss for the company and the combination of free publicity and customer goodwill will more than compensate for any loss they make.

 

You can be assured they will break even at least ( the perishable stock would have been lost anyway no doubt) - however I hope the regular Tescoites don't bleat too much if the prices charged turn out to be premium compared to "normal".

The waiting staff took it on board but there was no recognition of our dissatisfaction in the final bill.

And how did the managment act when you reported this?