Contents

1. Introduction – Scope and Purpose of the Article

   1.1. The Lancashire Coastline and Waterways
   1.2. Developments along the Coastline and the Seabed
   1.3. Strategic Planning Guidance and Local Multi-Agency Partnerships
   1.4. Complementary Information on Lancashire Profile

2. The Three Lancashire Ports and Associated Activities

   2.1. Fleetwood
   2.2. Heysham
   2.3. Glasson Dock (Lancaster)
   2.4. Firms Associated with Maritime Activities in North Lancashire

3. Freight and Passenger Traffic Figures for the Lancashire Ports

   3.1. Foreign and Domestic Traffic
   3.2. Unitised Traffic
   3.3. Detailed Breakdown for the Port of Heysham
   3.4. Ship Arrivals at Lancashire Ports

4. The Local Fishing Industry

   4.1. Vessel Statistics
   4.2. Firms Associated with the Fleetwood Fishing Industry
   4.3. Other Fishing Activities

5. Proposed New Road Links and Selected Road Haulage Firms

   5.1. Selected Road Haulage Firms
   5.2. Heysham Road Link
   5.3. Proposed New Road from Fleetwood to the M55

6. Marinas, Museums and Additional Web Links

   6.1. Preston Marina and Selected Firms in Central and East Lancashire
   6.2. Fleetwood Harbour Marina
   6.3. Glasson Basin Marina
   6.4. The History of Maritime Activity in Lancashire

Note that the previous editions of this article are in the Research Monitors Archive.

1. Introduction - Scope and Purpose of the Article

This wide-ranging research monitor considers a range of commercial, leisure and environmental issues that are associated with the past and present-day maritime industry in the county and other associated activities.

This introductory section emphasises the environmental importance of the coastal areas and navigable rivers and lists a number of the organisations involved in protecting this sensitive environment.

Section 2 has brief details of the three Lancashire ports and includes websites of the port owners and the major operators of freight and passenger routes.

The Department for Transport (DfT) statistics in section 3 are presented in seven tables. The first two provide the broad historical context by considering traffic levels from 1965 to 2006. The third table details unitised traffic figures for Fleetwood and Heysham that are the major traffic flows through the two ports. The fourth table goes into further detail regarding the type of traffic using Heysham Port, whilst the next two tables consider passenger and private vehicle throughput through Heysham and Fleetwood. The final table in the section presents information on ship arrivals at the three ports.

The DfT statistics in section 3 exclude the fishing industry so vessel details are presented in section 4. Web links are included to the wealth of data about the industry on the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) and Marine and Fisheries Agency websites.

Section 5 considers proposed road infrastructure improvements including the Heysham road link that will facilitate access to the port. It also highlights a selection of local haulage companies that use the local ports.

Sections 2, 4, 5 and 6 all include details of businesses based in Lancashire that have connections with the maritime sector.

Finally, section 6 reviews the present-day uses of former port facilities that have taken on new leases of life as marinas for leisure craft, locations for private housing and areas for shopping and leisure-related activities. Mention is also made of local museums that are concerned with the maritime heritage of the county.

1.1. The Lancashire Coastline and Waterways

Lancashire has 77 miles (123 km) of coastline, of which 95% is designated as internationally important for its nature conservation. The Ribble estuary between Blackpool and Southport is the UK's most important area for wintering birds such as whooper and Bewick's swans, pink-footed geese, widgeons, knots, dunlins, sanderlings, and bar-tailed and black-tailed godwits. An estimated 250,000 birds make the estuary their winter home every year. The RSPB and partner agencies are working to protect and restore this area through the creation of a new reserve and innovative projects for people and wildlife. Commercial and leisure-based maritime activities along the Lancashire coast and the navigable rivers have to be undertaken with consideration of the important and sensitive natural environments.

Much of Lancashire's coastline and estuaries are designated as Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), and the English Nature website lists all the SSSIs in the county.

The Environment Agency is responsible for the cleanliness of the Lancashire coastline and waterways and their website contains a wealth of information. Bathing and river water quality results for Lancashire have been downloaded from their site and used in a complementary Research Monitor. The figures have revealed improvements over recent years, but further efforts are needed if all areas are to achieve the most stringent guideline standards that are now in place.

Please also note that the Maritime and Coastguard Agency has a statutory responsibility to respond to pollution incidents and is actively involved in a range of environmental improvements. Also worth a mention is the Marine Conservation Society, a charity dedicated to caring for the UK's seas, shores and wildlife, whilst the Sea Fish Industry Authority (Seafish) works across all sectors of the UK seafood industry to promote good quality, sustainable seafood.

1.2. Developments along the Coastline and the Seabed

The Crown Estate owns virtually the entire UK seabed out to the 12 nautical mile territorial limit, including the rights to explore and utilise the natural resources of the UK continental shelf (excluding oil, gas and coal). The Energy Act 2004 vested rights to the Crown Estate to licence the generation of renewable energy on the continental shelf within the Renewable Energy Zone out to 200 nautical miles.

The Eclipse Energy Company Limited is developing a local renewal energy scheme close to the Lancashire coast. Approval was given in February 2007 for an innovative renewable energy scheme that is scheduled for completion by 2010. The company is to build and operate the world's first co-developed offshore gas and wind power generation facility that could generate enough electricity to power over 155,000 homes, 71,000 of which would be powered by renewable energy.

Power would be generated during calm weather from two small Morecambe Bay gas fields and during acceptable wind conditions from an adjacent offshore wind farm with up to 30 turbines. The electricity would be exported by sub-sea cable to a National Grid link at the Heysham substation on the outskirts of the town.

Also in the locality is the Barrow Offshore Wind Farm.

Major investments have been put in to sea defence work along the Lancashire coastline over recent years. The seafront at Cleveleys has received a major facelift, which started in late 2005. The £19 million 4-year scheme combines new integrated sea-defenses and an improved promenade area. Also of note on the Fylde coast is extensive coastal protection work along the Blackpool seafront. The same weblink also details the comprehensive Morecambe Coastal Protection work that first commenced in 1989.

The coastal protection work has improved public access to the seafront and visitors to the Lancashire coastline can also take advantage of the Lancashire Coastal Way. In the long term it is the intention that it will form part of the North West Coastal Trail from Chester to Carlisle. It also complements the plans for a Ribble Coast and Wetlands Regional Park. Elements of the trail include the former Lancaster–Glasson Railway – and the proposed bridge at Tarleton over the River Douglas.

1.3. Strategic Planning Guidance and Local Multi-Agency Partnerships

The Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform (BERR, formerly DTI) is responsible for the Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) process. This is the appraisal system through which environmental protection and sustainable development may be considered, and factored into national and local decisions regarding Government (and other) plans and programmes – such as oil and gas licensing rounds. The process aims to help inform Ministerial decisions through consideration of the environmental implications of the proposed action.

The North West Regional Asemby works to promote the economic, environmental and social well-being of the region. The Documents section of the website lists a large number of land use planning reports, and some contain information relevant to Lancashire coastal areas.

The North West Coastal Forum is a multi-agency partnership bringing together stakeholders from the public, private and voluntary sectors working to promote and deliver integrated management for our coastal areas to ensure their long-term sustainability

Wyre Borough Council has commissioned a Masterplan for Fleetwood that incorporates the dock and surrounding area used by fish processing and other support activities connected to the maritime sector.

The Morecambe Bay Partnership is a registered charity that works to bring together the many different individuals and organisations with an interest in Morecambe Bay.

1.4. Complementary Information on Lancashire Profile

The Lancashire Profile contains complementary supporting information related to the maritime industry. This includes the two Sector Profiles covering Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing (which contains information on the changing fortunes of the fishing industry in Fleetwood), and Transport, Storage and Communications.

2. The Three Lancashire Ports and Associated Activities

2.1. Fleetwood

The port of Fleetwood is one of the 21 UK ports owned by Associated British Ports. The Fleetwood–Larne Ferry is operated by Stenaline Ferries and carries road freight, private cars and passengers, motorcycles (see Table 4) but not foot passengers.

P&O Ferry Masters (Irish Division) Ltd has an important base at Fleetwood and the company website contains information regarding their services.

The tram system along the Fylde coast terminates at the Fleetwood ferry stop close to the Ro-Ro terminal. Details of tram and bus services in the area can be found at the Metro Coastline website. Nearby is the local Knott End Ferry, which crosses the river Wyre and is operated under contract by Wyre Marine. The company's main activities include dredging, land reclamation of harbours and waterways, along with coastal defence and riverbank protection.

Fleetwood is home to a specialist Nautical Campus Nautical Campus that is part of Blackpool and the Fylde College. It was formed in the late 1980s to offer survival training to the merchant navy and the offshore oil and gas industries.

An important maritime-related company in the area is the FTS Group of Companies (The Fleetwood Trawlers Supply Group) that can trace its roots back to 1912. The company has a number of different departments that link to the maritime and other commercial sectors.

2.2. Heysham

Heysham Port opened in 1904 and offers immediate access to the sea at all states of the tide. The Port is owned by the Peel Group and the company's Ports Division includes the Mersey Docks and Harbour Company which is responsible for Heysham Port. In 2006, a 49% stake in Peel Ports was sold to RReef Infrastructure, the property and infrastructure investment arm of Deutsche Asset Management.

Details of passenger services from Heysham to the Isle of Man can be found on the Steam Packet Company website. There are normally two sailings a day taking approximately 3 hours 30 mins.

Norfolkline operates freight services between Heysham to both Dublin and Belfast, and is owned by the AP Mø ller-Maersk Group.

Seatruck Ferries is an Irish sea ferry company (part of the multi-national Clipper Group) specialising in the carriage of freight, and operates between Heysham and Warrenpoint in Northern Ireland. The company is confident about growth prospects in the unaccompanied trailer freight market and has invested in new vessels for the route.

Heysham Port is home to an important field management and support base for the two Morecambe Bay Gas Fields in the Irish Sea. They are operated by Hydrocarbon Resources Ltd (HRL), a wholly owned subsidiary of Centrica Energy. The South Morecambe field covers an area of 32 square miles, whilst the North Morecambe field is 11 square miles.

Total gas reserves on discovery of both fields were estimated at 179 billion cubic metres (6.45 trillion cubic feet) with the top of the gas reservoir being 900 metres below sea level.

The Northern Rail Train Operating Company provides a limited service to Heysham Port railway station to connect with passenger sailings. Timetable details are available via the company's website. Train passenger using Heysham Port rail station should catch a connecting sailing. Rail station usage statistics reveal that only a small proportion of sea passengers using the port (see Table 4) arrive or depart by train.

The Port of Heysham Industrial Park is also an important business site in the district of Lancaster.

2.3. Glasson Dock (Lancaster)

The harbour originally opened in 1787, following the demise of Lancaster as a port, and was for a time the largest port in the North West, importing cotton, sugar, spices and slaves from Africa and the Indies. The connection with the Lancaster Canal was important in affording the distribution of cargo landed at the port into the heart of industrial Lancashire.

The Glasson Group (which in August 2006, became a subsidiary of the Wynnstay Group) operates the multi-berth Glasson Dock situated to the south of Lancaster. The Company handles ships of up to 3,000 tonnes and offers a regular liner service to the Isle of Man for general cargo.

2.4. Firms Associated with Maritime Activities in North Lancashire

A multi-national organisation that has its UK presence at the Lune Business Park in Lancaster is Gulf Intermodal. The company is involved in the design, manufacture and lease of specialised offshore containers, plus other associated services.

Volker Stevin Ltd is a national civil engineering and building contractor and maritime engineering is a core activity of the company. The company has a presence at the White Lund Industrial Estate in Morecambe and the Lancashire site incorporates the work of the company's subsidiary Brooke Contracting.

A Lancaster firm that was established in 1979 as an importer and exporter of frozen seafood is Mardon plc. In 2007, the company website stated that the firm had trading links with over 35 countries.

Another firm well worth a mention because of its long trading history is Mrs JC Altham & Sons (Lancaster) Ltd. The company was established in 1856, when a chandling service was started from a warehouse on St Georges Quay, Lancaster, to service the increasing number of vessels into Heysham Harbour. Their entry in a couple of local trade directories states they are 'Ships store merchants and bonded warehousemen'.

Based at the West Quay of Glasson Dock, the Port of Lancaster Smokehouse has for over 30 years used traditional methods of preparing and curing fish and meats of all kinds.

Dolphin Maritime Software Ltd is a Lancaster company that specialises in maritime software and handheld computers.

Lebus International Engineers Ltd is a business with a branch plant in Poulton-le-Fylde that is involved with marine deck machinery, cranes and other special purpose winches.

Also in Wyre district is Submarine Manufacturing & Products Ltd. The company website states that it is one of the world leaders in the manufacturing of commercial diving equipment and plays a major role in the sports and recreational diving industry.

3. Freight and Passenger Traffic Figures for the Lancashire Ports

3.1. Foreign and Domestic Traffic

The Department for Transport Maritime Statistics 2007 report provides a compilation of figures about passenger and freight traffic through the UK ports that are provided by shipping lines or their agents. This is the latest edition of an annual publication that has been produced for over 20 years.

Table 1 presents historic data on total tonnage through the three Lancashire ports covering the period from 1965 to 1993, whilst Table 1A details figures from 1995 to 2007, along with comparator data for other selected UK ports.

The statistics reveal the total tonnage figures for the Lancashire ports. Over the years, whilst the national picture has been one of constant increases, the Lancashire results are somewhat mixed. The most recent 2007 figures reveal a continuation of the long-term pattern of increase at Fleetwood, but some reduction in traffic through Heysham.

Table 1 Foreign and Domestic Traffic, 1965 to 1993 (thousands of tonnes)

	1965	1970	1975	1980	1985	1990	1993
Fleetwood	259	253	1,025	1,944	1,879	1,381	1,442
Heysham	3,563	586	593	885	926	1,485	2,205
Lancaster	—	85	49	134	233	213	141
UK/GB	319,212(1)	370,025(1)	340,145(1)	424,079(2)	462,903(2)	491,968(2)	506,224(2)
Notes (1) GB figure; (2) UK figure
Source DfT, Maritime Statistics, 2003-2007

Table 1A Lancashire and Other Selected UK Ports, Foreign and Domestic Traffic, 1995 to 2007 (thousands of tonnes)

	1995	1997	1999	2001	2003	2005	2006	2007	Percent Change 1995-2007
Grimsby & Immingham	46,790	47,991	49,757	54,831	55,931	60,686	64,033	66,279	41.7
Tees & Hartlepool	46,076	51,249	49,316	50,842	53,842	55,790	53,348	52,739	2.7
London	51,362	55,692	52,206	50,654	51,028	53,843	51,911	49,779	8.0
Fleetwood	1,236	1,362	1,368	1,608	1,624	1,635	1,670	1,772	43.4
Heysham	2,708	4,069	3,370	3,824	4,083	3,676	4,014	3,586	32.4
Lancaster	129	121	112	117	156	111	145	123	-4.7
Liverpool	29,987	30,841	28,913	30,288	31,684	33,775	33,550	32,258	7.6
Manchester	8,379	7,939	7,825	7,879	6,088	7,222	8,049	8,079	-3.6
All UK ports	548,230	558,530	565,614	566,366	555,662	584,919	583,739	581,504	6.1
Source DfT, Maritime Statistics, 2003-2007

A striking aspect was the enormous decrease in activity at Heysham between 1965 and 1970. It was not until 1997 that Heysham managed to surpass the 1965 tonnage. Since that date, traffic levels through the port have been volatile, with a pattern of decline since 2003.

Fleetwood reached its recent Zenith around 1980, when a figure of 1,944 thousand tonnes was attained. The port recorded noticeably less tonnage 10 years later, but since the beginning of the new millennium there has been a strong upward trend. The 2007 figure of 1,772 thousand tonnes is the largest recorded since the 1980s.

It is clear that the Lancashire ports have recorded mixed fortunes, but if the emphasis is placed on percentage changes between 1995 and 1997 then the picture is on the whole one of sustained growth. Between these dates, tonnage through Fleetwood and Heysham increased by 43.4% and 32.4% respectively whilst the UK percentage rose by only 6.1%. The tonnage through Glasson Dock is very small and the comparable percentage reveals a decrease of -4.7%.

Table 1A reveals that the Grimsby & Immingham and London are the two largest UK ports in terms of total tonnage throughput. Tees and Hartlepool, which is the third largest port was ahead of London in 2005, but the 2007 result reveals a noticeable reduction in traffic.

The importance of Liverpool is apparent in Table 1A, whilst business along the Manchester Ship Canal has shown strong growth since 2003.

In total, the five largest ports in the UK accounted for 42.8% of all traffic in 2007, whilst 11 ports other that also managed to handle in excess of 10 million tonnes in 2007, were responsible for an additional 36.1% of all UK traffic. The figures for port activity in Lancashire reveal a useful role for traffic flows to the Isle of Man and Ireland, but the Lancashire ports only account for 0.9% of UK tonnage. In a national context, activity at the Lancashire ports is small scale, however as sources of employment, and conduits to the movement of passengers and freight, they are important to the local economy and therefore the results require consideration.

3.2. Unitised Traffic Tonnage

Table 2 presents figures for unitised traffic through the two main Lancashire ports. A comparison with Table 1A shows that unitised traffic represents the major traffic tonnage for the Lancashire ports, whereas at the national level, non-unitised cargoes predominate.

Unitised traffic includes containers, road goods vehicles, unaccompanied trailers, rail wagons, shipborne port-to-port trailers and barges. Non-unitised traffic includes crude oil, liquefied gas, coal, ores, agricultural, forestry, iron and steel products.

Table 2 provides the detailed breakdown of unitised traffic at Heysham and Fleetwood ports. Between 1995 and 2007 unitised traffic grew dramatically at the national level and at the two main Lancashire ports. The figures for Fleetwood show a pattern of constant yearly increases whereas for Heysham, the latest 2007 results reveal a relatively static picture after a noticeable decline between 2003 and 2005.

Table 2 Unitised Traffic Tonnage, 1995 to 2007

		1995	1997	1999	2001	2003	2005	2006	2007	Percent Change 1995-2007
Fleetwood	Tonnage	1,236	1,362	1,368	1,542	1,561	1,615	1,648	1,763	42.6
	Units (thousand)	—	—	108	125	126	131	134	147	—
Heysham	Tonnage	2,455	3,862	3,199	3,422	3,745	3,303	3,699	3,289	33.2
	Units (thousand)	177	261	275	257	324	250	281	250	41.2
United Kingdom	Tonnage	109,398	124,383	131,919	130,043	133,368	147,799	151,944	158,583	45.0
	Units (thousand)	8,304	9,459	10,182	10,811	11,235	12,165	12,678	13,408	61.5
Source DfT, Maritime Statistics, 2003-2007

3.3 Detailed Breakdown for the Port of Heysham

Table 3 reveals how 'Unitised' Ro-Ro traffic is by far the major traffic flow through Heysham. In comparison to the results for the previous year, all forms of Ro-Ro traffic recorded falling levels which was the reason for the overall reduction between 2006 and 2007.

Domestic traffic to the Isle of Man and Northern Ireland is the most significant source of tonnage, whilst Ro-Ro traffic to the Irish Republic is on a much smaller scale.

Table 3 Heysham Foreign and Domestic Traffic, 2007 (thousands of tonnes)

	Foreign Traffic		Domestic Traffic
	Imports	Exports	Inwards	Outwards
Oil Products	6	—	—	—
Bulk Fuels	6	—	—	—
Dry Bulk Traffic	—	—	124	—
Forestry Products	56	—	—	—
General Cargo and Containers under 20'	—	—	12	52
Ro-Ro (self-propelled)	29	11	174	219
Ro-Ro (non-self-propelled)	252	130	1,158	1,363
All traffic	343	141	1,468	1,634
Note The 2007 Maritime Statistics report contains figures for Fleetwood, which have not been reproduced in this monitor. All the Fleetwood traffic is classified as Domestic traffic under the two Ro-Ro headings.
Source DfT, Maritime Statistics, 2007

The Heysham–Douglas ferry service used to be the only scheduled maritime passenger service from a Lancashire port that appeared in the official statistics, but the last three editions of this article have included a data series for the Fleetwood–Larne service. Table 4 details passenger totals for these two services over recent years. The Heysham route accounts for 50.6% of all maritime passengers on the GB–Isle of Man route, with the vast majority of the remainder using the service from Liverpool.

The Heysham–Douglas service has recorded increases and decreases in passenger numbers between 1995 and 2007, but a straight comparison between the two time periods shows a strong overall increase (45.1%)). This compares with a 10.3% increase for domestic passengers in the UK as a whole. The national figure encompasses services such as river ferries, routes to the Scottish Islands, Isle of Wight and Belfast.

The Fleetwood–Larne service in 2007 accounted for just 2.6% of all domestic waterborne passenger movements from Great Britain to Northern Ireland (Stranraer- Belfast was by far the most popular route). Passenger numbers through Fleetwood increased noticeably from 1997 to 2001, but have since dropped to 61,000 in 2007.

Table 4 UK Domestic Passengers, 1997 to 2007 (thousands)

	1997	1999	2001	2003	2005	2006	2007	Percent Change 1997-2007
Heysham–Douglas	206	239	224	261	260	269	299	45.1
Fleetwood–Larne	28	51	67	67	62	59	61	117.9
United Kingdom	38,450	38,782	39,687	41,371	41,254	40,351	42,413	10.3
Source DfT, Maritime Statistics, 2003-2007

Table 5 presents information on the number of accompanied passenger vehicles through Heysham. Over the period there was an 88% increase, but the numbers have varied enormously over the intervening years. At the national level, the market has been broadly in decline, but the 2007 results reveal a recent upward trend.

Table 5 Accompanied Passenger Vehicles, Heysham Port and UK, 1995-2007 (thousands of vehicles)

	1995	1997	1999	2001	2003	2005	2006	2007	Percent Change 1995-2007
Heysham	50	43	121	97	75	67	83	94	88.0
United Kingdom, All Cars	7,477	7,982	7,336	6,631	6,804	6,305	6,388	6,677	-10.7
Source DfT, Maritime Statistics, 2003-2007

3.4. Ship Arrivals at Lancashire Ports

The latest figures on the number of ship arrivals reveal that the increased tonnage levels do not exactly correlate with ship arrival numbers. The 2003 figure for example revealed a major decline for ship arrivals in Heysham over the period two years earlier, yet tonnage through the port showed an increase during this period.

The decrease at the national level at a time when tonnage figures continue to grow can only be accounted for by improved efficiency or larger vessels.

For the UK as a whole, between 1997 and 2007, ship arrivals declined by -12.5%. In Lancashire, arrivals at Fleetwood bucked the national trend and increased by a substantial 30.7%. For Heysham, there was a large increase in recorded ship arrivals between 2005 and 2007 that contributed to an 8.5% increase between 1997 and 2007.

Table 6 Ship Arrivals, 1997-2007 (number of vessels)

	1997	1999	2001	2003	2005	2006	2007	Percent Change 1997-2007
Fleetwood	720	787	965	909	888	919	931	30.7
Lancaster	238	225	206	225	145	160	151	-36.6
Heysham	3,032	3,484	2,922	2,390	2,701	2,864	3,290	8.5
United Kingdom	159,651	153,961	145,434	152,896	146,182	140,908	139,662	-12.5
Source Lloyd's Maritime Intelligence Unit and individual ports for those vessels not counted by Lloyd's (mainly regular ferry services). Fishing vessels, pleasure yachts, dredgers, and supply and support ships are excluded.
Note The arrivals recorded relate to movements of all sea-going vessels of 100 gt or over.

As part of the global maritime safety system, ships of over 300 tons are required to broadcast their positions using an Automatic Identification System. Real time information regarding the movements of large vessels off the Lancashire coast is available at the ShipAIS website. In comparison, to a number of other coastal areas, traffic levels around the Lancashire coastline are modest.

4. The Local Fishing Industry

4.1. Vessel Statistics

The maritime statistics in section 3 do not include the activities of the fishing industry. Fleetwood has been a major fishing port for 90 years and still has an important fishing industry. The Associated British Ports website states that the town's fish-auction hall handles around 5,000 tonnes of fish every year. Approximately half of the fish arrives overland from Scottish and other ports, destined for local receivers (see section 4.2).

There are two government websites that contain a wealth of detail on the UK fishing industry. The website of the Department for the Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (Defra) has previously been the main focus for statistics regarding the UK fishing industry. It still has a substantial amount of information on the marine environment and fisheries, however October 2005 saw the establishment of the Marine Fisheries Agency as an Executive Agency of Defra.

The Agency brings together the service delivery, inspection and enforcement activities provided by the government to the fishing industry and other marine stakeholders in England and Wales. The Statistics section of the website has the latest 2007 edition of the annual UK Sea Fisheries Statistics publication.

For the first time, the 2007 edition of the report classifies all local figures under a Blackpool heading as the administrative port. Along the west coast of the country, the two nearest administrative areas are Ayr in Scotland and Milford Haven in Wales. Whether Blackpool therefore is the administrative area for vessels for the whole North West is unclear. All that can be said is that direct comparisons with the figures reported in previous editions of this article should be viewed with caution.

Tables 7 to 9 contain details of the local Fishing Fleet taken from the publication. The Sea Fisheries report has results for fish landings at the major UK ports but these do not include Fleetwood. Of note in the report is the quantity and value of the landings at the three Scottish ports of Peterhead, Lerwick and Fraserburgh. In 2007, they together accounted for 52% by quantity and 37% by value of all landings by UK vessels in the UK.

Please note that the results for the number, size and age of fishing vessels (Tables 7 to 9) are presented without reference to important issues such as fisheries quotas and policies regarding the issue of fishing vessel licences (see the Marine Fisheries Agency website). A more detailed analysis of the reasons underpinning the yearly changes would need to consider these factors.

Information pertaining to the regulation of the fishing industry can be found on the website of the North Western & North Wales Sea Fisheries Committee that is based at the University of Lancaster.

Table 7 Blackpool Registered Vessels over 10m, 2005 to 2007

	Number of Vessels			Registered Tonnage
	2005	2006	2007	2005	2006	2007
Blackpool	15	15	14	1,234	1,058	910
England	625	609	601	59,611	61,068	59,711
United Kingdom	1,582	1,549	1,527	199,499	195,808	194,382
Source UK Sea Fisheries Statistics, 2007

Table 7 reveals the relatively small number of vessels over 10 metre long vessels licensed at the Blackpool administrative area. Table 8 confirms that 90 fishing vessels registered to Blackpool are under 10 metres in length.

Table 8 Blackpool Registered Vessels under 10m, 2005 to 2007

	Number of Vessels			Registered Tonnage			Engine Power
	2005	2006	2007	2005	2006	2007	2005	2006	2007
Blackpool	81	82	90	299	290	303	3,472	3,339	3,596
United Kingdom	5,134	5,203	5,236	18,118	18,373	18,434	272,041	277,504	281,246
Source UK Sea Fisheries Statistics, 2007

The UK fishing industry has declined from 8,458 vessels in 1997 to 6,763 in 2007, a reduction of 20%. Table 9 reveals that less than 10% of locally registered vessels have been built since 2001 and this indicates that the replacement rate appears unable to sustain the present number of vessels.

Table 9 Age of Blackpool Registered Vessels

Year of Construction	Number of Vessels	Gross Tonnage	Engine Power
Unknown	5	7	72
1960 or earlier	8	144	553
1961-1970	8	296	909
1971-1980	21	529	2,001
1981-1990	28	165	1,436
1991-2000	23	53	926
2001 onwards	11	19	576
Total	104	1,213	6,473
Source UK Sea Fisheries Statistics, 2007

The Sea Fisheries report mentioned that in 2007, there were 12,729 fishermen, down by 32% since 1997. The report states that only 158 fisherman are allocated to the Blackpool administrative port.

4.2. Firms Associated with the Fleetwood Fishing Industry

The Fleetwood Docks and Copse Road Trading Estates are important areas of business activity in the district of Wyre. The sites contain a number of fish processing and other maritime-related companies that unfortunately do not have websites. There are however important firms in the locality that do have informative websites, and these firms are either still involved in maritime-related activities or have diversified away from this particular sector as trading conditions have changed and new opportunities have arisen.

Mention has already been made of the Fleetwood Trawlers Supply Group, and other firms that retain a strong long-term association with the local fishing industry include Fylde Cold Stores, which first started operating on the Fleetwood waterfront in 1908. It now forms part of the Marr Group of companies, and has diversified significantly away from its original role of supplying ice to the deep-sea trawlers at the port. The company now has its main base in central Lancashire, but still maintains its presence at Wyre Dock Fleetwood to assist with the storage and transportation of frozen food products.

The role of Fleetwood as a centre for the auction and processing of seafood is far greater than might be expected given the amount of fish landed at the port.

An important local employer is AM Seafoods Ltd, which chose Fleetwood in 1973 because of its central geographical location. The firm is one of the major shellfish processors in the UK, and king scallops, queen scallops and whelks arrive overnight from locations as far away as Wick, Campbeltown, Shoreham and Brixham via temperature controlled vehicles. In August 2007, a facility was opened to handle locally sourced brown crab that arrives ready for processing within 12 hours of being landed.

M&J Seafoods provides the UK catering market with fresh, frozen and chilled seafood, and is part of the larger Brakes Group. Fleetwood is said to be one of the two main processing sites for M&J, and carries out all of the salmon processing as well as dealing with other species such as brill, turbot, monk, sole and sea trout. The Fleetwood factory is situated on the Harbour Trading Estate in the town, but the company website does not detail the Fleetwood operation, therefore these details are not directly supplied by the company.

Lakeland Seafoods on Dock Street, Fleetwood, supplies a comprehensive range of fresh and frozen seafood. All the products are caught the day before, bought at Fleetwood market in the morning, processed in their factory and delivered to the customer by refrigerated vehicles.

Also very much worth a mention is C&G Neve which, besides supplying seafood, owns and administers three trawlers, and acts as an agent for other trawlers.

An old-established Lancashire company that nowadays targets a worldwide audience, instead of just Fleetwood Fishermen, is Lofthouse of Fleetwood Ltd. The company, which is a significant local employer, makes the famous Fisherman's Friend Lozenges, and was founded in 1865 by James Lofthouse, a resident of Fleetwood who created small lozenges containing menthol and eucalyptus to help fishermen working in freezing conditions.

Boris Nets of Fleetwood was started as a family business in 1958 and has been manufacturing fishing nets since its inception. It has however over the years diversified into new markets, and nowadays produces nets for sport, leisure, safety and a wide variety of other uses.

Another important old Fleetwood company that has completely diversified away from its initial role of supplying Fleetwood trawlers with oil-burning navigation lamps built to withstand the harshest of elements during sea voyages is Great British Lighting (a subsidiary of the Fleetwood Trawlers' Supply Group).

Established in 1976, Seaplant Exchange International is a Marine Directory that is said to be used in more than 50 countries by the offshore oil, marine constructing and shipping industries for buying, selling and hiring equipment, services and vessels.

4.3. Other Fishing Activities

The waters and coastal areas of Lancashire have for many years provided the local community with a rich and plentiful source of seafood such as shrimps, prawns, cockles and mussels. A fine example of a Lancashire business involved in this activity is James Baxter & Son in Morecambe, a family-run firm that has been potting shrimps for over 200 years but which unfortunately does not have a website. Another well-established Lancashire business is Southport Potted Shrimp, based in the West Lancashire village of Banks. The firm specialises in locally caught brown shrimps that are cooked in salts, peppers, spices and butter, and then frozen to preserve their unique and distinctive flavour.

5. Proposed New Road Links and Selected Road Haulage Firms

5.1. Selected Road Haulage Firms

Examples of Lancashire road haulage companies that, according to their websites, specialise in freight shipments through the county's ports include Graylaw Freight Group based in Skelmersdale. The company's website claims that it is the largest groupage shippers to the Isle of Man and Ireland. J&M Ggorry & Son Ltd in Morecambe is well located to take advantage of Heysham Port, whilst Edmundson Ronagency in Skelmersdale offers services to the Isle of Man.

Montgomery Transport is a Northern Ireland firm that has a depot in Bamber Bridge to the south of Preston. The firm offers daily groupage services between Britain and Ireland, warehousing, bulk distribution and temperature-controlled distribution.

Examples of two Lancashire road haulage companies that state they operate on a wider international basis are Atlantic Freight Ltd in Bacup and the Bowker Group in Bamber Bridge.

5.2. Heysham Road Link

In February 2008, planning permission was granted for a new road link between Heysham and the M6 that will facilitate the movement of goods to and from Heysham Port and the employment areas north of the river Lune. The route will be a 4.8km long two-lane carriageway all-purpose road with intermediate junctions and a combined footway/cycleway along its full length.

5.3. Proposed New Road from Fleetwood to the M55

Improved road links to Fleetwood that would facilitate movements to and from the port are under initial consideration. A public exhibition was held in October 2006 regarding a link between the M55 and Fleetwood. Five routes, estimated to cost between £ 96million and £ 190million, have been drawn up for public scrutiny. Further details can be found by going to the Fylde Coast website.

6. Marinas, Museums and Additional Web Links

Across the country, a number of former port facilities have undergone changes of use to become smart new marinas for pleasure craft, and places for offices, housing, shopping and other leisure facilities. Lancashire has not been excluded from this trend with examples of this form of regeneration being located in Preston, Fleetwood and at Glasson Dock.

6.1. Preston Marina and Selected Firms in Central and East Lancashire

The former commercial port of Preston has over the years been transformed by new housing, office, retail and leisure developments. Although no maritime freight activity now takes place, it remains an impressive inland dock basin and offers berthing and support services for pleasure craft. Further significant developments are under consideration to maximise the potential of the site and surrounding area for commercial and residential developments. The aim is for Riversway Docklands to provide the hub of tourism, entertainment and water based leisure and recreation activities in Preston. Further details can be found on the Preston Docks and Preston Marina websites.

At the former Preston Docks is the seafood supplier Martin Brown Seafoods. The company states that they are wholesale fresh and frozen seafood specialists that supply throughout the UK. Also in the locality is Rainbow Seafood, which is an international seafood company that has its headquarters in North America and its UK presence at Preston Technology Park.

A company near Preston that is worth a mention is AMC Diesel Engineering Ltd that specialises in marine diesel engines.

Douglas Marine Ltd is situated on the River Douglas, off the Ribble Estuary, and is accessible by boat from the sea, the Leeds-Liverpool Canal and the Lancaster Canal (via the Ribble Link). The Douglas Boatyard has been building and repairing boats since around 1900 and is the home of the Predator Boats range of fishing and sports boats.

Warrior Boats, based in Leyland, builds leisure boats and is said to be one of the biggest 'small boat' manufacturers in the UK.

The CRP Group in Skelmersdale is a leading designer, manufacturer and supplier of engineered solutions for the world's most demanding (marine and sub-sea) environments.

An Adlington firm that supplies marine searchlights worldwide is Astralux UK Ltd.

Redfern Amiflex Hose claims to be the UK's leading independently owned manufacturer of rubber hose for marine, offshore, dockside, dredging and heavy industrial applications. The Amiflex Hose Division of the business is based on the Walton Summit estate to the south of Preston.

Another specialist firm that is also situated away from the coast is Apeks Marine Equipment Ltd in Blackburn. The company's goal is to make the best diving equipment in the world. The firm states that it produces more regulators for UK divers than any other manufacturer and also exports to over 50 countries. Also near Blackburn is the well-established company Control Ability Design that amongst other things makes marine tachometers. Nearby in Accrington is Friction Components & Systems Ltd. The company produces brake linings that are supplied and fitted as original equipment and replacement spares on winches and cranes.

6.2. Fleetwood Harbour Marina

Located within the sheltered enclosed dock adjacent to the Fish Dock, Fleetwood Harbour Marina offers 300 fully-serviced berths with a wide range of facilities for marina users provided by the Fleetwood Harbour Yacht Club. The marina offers a base from which to cruise the local coastline and beyond.

In July 2008, it was reported in the local press that by the end of the year, half of Fleetwood's fish dock could be used for an extension of the existing marina, with around 150 new berths for yachts. Room would be left for some fishing vessels including Fleetwood's heritage vessel, Jacinta.

Adjacent to the Fleetwood Marina is the Freeport Fleetwood outlet shopping village that occupies a large site next to the outer harbour. With over 45 outlet shops, it represents a significant commercial reuse of former dock land. Thirty acres of former Association British Ports land at Fleetwood has been purchased by Redrow Homes. The developer will construct 380 properties on the site including some elite penthouses with spectacular views overlooking the estuary.

The docks form part of the town's Mount ward which, along with neighbouring wards, forms a large area with significant problems of deprivation. The new housing with spectacular views across the estuary, and the expansion of the marina should impact on the social mix of the area.

6.3. Glasson Basin Marina

In addition to the commercial activity at Glasson Dock, the Inner Harbour forms the Glasson Basin Marina which is owned by British Waterways Marinas Ltd. The company also operates the Galgate Marina on the Lancaster canal and the White Bear Marina on the Leeds and Liverpool canal at Adlington.

6.4. The History of Maritime Activity in Lancashire

The list of Lancashire County Museums includes the Lancaster Maritime Museum and the Fleetwood Museum. Details for both can be found by going to the Lancashire Museums website.

The Fleetwood Museum is located in the old Customs House and brings the story of Fleetwood and the surrounding coast to life. The Fleetwood Online Archive of Trawlers (Float) is a joint venture between Fleetwood Museum, Fleetwood Library and the Lancashire Record Office, with support from the Heritage Lottery Fund. It includes many pictures of fishing vessels from Fleetwood and can provide help for people undertaking family history research because the names of crews who served on many of the trawlers can also be obtained.

To find out more about the history, traditions and people who have fished Morecambe Bay, the Irish Sea and beyond please visit Netting the Bay.

The Lancaster Maritime Museum occupies two historic buildings on St George's Quay, the main 18th century harbour. The former Custom House of 1764 (see the picture), designed by Richard Gillow, contains displays of the history of the port of Lancaster and the local fishing industry and has a gallery for exhibitions. In the adjacent warehouse are displays on the Lancaster Canal and the ecology of Morecambe Bay.

A number of other former port-related quayside buildings in Lancaster have been converted to desirable flats etc., and the rich architectural legacy of the former port buildings is an important asset to the town.