[Iain MacIllEathain – Preseantair] Tha e na shamhla air cho dòchasach ‘s a tha cùisean a’ coimhead do gnìomhasach an iasgaich ann an Uibhist, gum bi triùir sgiobairean air còrr is aon gu leth millean not a chosg air eathraichean ùr ro mheadhan na h-ath bhliadhna. Tha aon de na bàtaichean-iasgaich, an Charlene Ann, air a dhol gu muir mu thràth agus tha a dhà eile an-dràsta gan tògail. Tha Shona NicDhòmhnaill ag aithris.
[Shona NicDhòmhnaill – Neach-aithris] Tha gnìomhasach an iasgaich a’ cumail grunn mòr dhaoine ann an cosnadh eadar dà cheann Uibhist. An dà chuid aig muir agus air tìr. An-dràsta thathar ag ath-nuadhachadh gu mòr a’ chabhlach iasgaich ann an Uibhist.. Tha a’ chiad bhàta ùr, an Charlene Ann, dìreach air a dhol dhan uisge.
[Dòmhnall Eàrdsaidh Macneachail] ‘S e catamaran a th’ innte. Tha an eathar dìreach air a togail timcheall air sàbhailteachd. Tha barrachd rùim agad agus tha barrachd astar agad, is tha range agad, agus bheir i leatha mu chòig cheud cliath. So, that’s like, an dàrna leth dhe na clèibh agam air an aon luchd. So, faodaidh mi cliabh a shioftadh pìos mòr.
[Shona NicDhòmhnaill – Neach-aithris] Thathar cuideachd a’ togail catarmaran eile agus bàta nas traidiseanta. ‘S i am bàta sin an tè as motha dhe na trì. Agus bidh na h-iasgairean air falbh bhon phort leatha sin fad na seachdain.
[Daibhidh Stiùbhart] Tha i gu bhith, car, an aon fhaid’ ris an eathar a th’ againn. Tha i gu bhith a’ slaodadh sia-deug do dhreidsean, seach mar an eathar a th’ againn, tha i a’ slaodadh ceithir-deug. Tha còir gum bi an eathar ùr againn, gum bi i gu math nas fhurasta airson obair. Agus gum bi i gu math nas cofhurtail airson fuireach innte. Agus an rud as cudromaiche, ‘s e, gum bi i ùr, agus cha bhi a leithid do maintenance agad ann.
[Shona NicDhòmhnaill – Neach-aithris] Ged a tha taic ann, mar iasad gun riadh airson bàta a cheannach, chan eil taic sam bith ri fhaighinn airson bàta-iasgaich gu tur ùr a thogail. Feumaidh misneachd gu leòr a bhith aig triùir iasgairean millean agus sia-ceud mìle not a chur a-mach airson trì eathraichean.
[Dòmhnall Eàrdsaidh Macneachail] Tha sinn a’ faighinn prìsean mòra air muasgain-caola an ceart-uair. An dà bhliadhna mu dheireadh bha iad math againn. Ach, mu chòig bliadhna air ais, bha iad gu math gann an uair sin. Ach chan eil uimhir de dh’eathraichean a-muigh ‘s a bha ann a-nis. Tòrr dhe na eathraichean-luadh air falbh, tha leithid do chosgais ann.
[Daibhidh Stiùbhart] Thòisich mise ag iasgach mu seachd bliadhna air ais agus chan fhaca mise cho math seo fhathast. Tha sinn a’ cleachdadh tòrr creachainn agus tha airson a dhà no trì bhliadhnaichean. Agus am-bliadhna, tha prìs air a bhith math.
[Shona NicDhòmhnaill – Neach-aithris] Tha dùil ris an dà bhàta ùr eile eadar an Earrach agus toiseach an t-Samhraidh an ath-bhliadhna. Shona NicDhòmhnaill, BBC An Là, Uibhist.
[John MacLean – Presenter] It’s symbolic of how hopeful things look in the fishing industry in Uist that three skippers will have spent more than £1.5m on new boats by the middle of next year. One of the fishing boats, the Charlene Ann, has already gone to sea and the other two are being built at present. Shona MacDonald reports.
[Shona MacDonald – Reporter] The fishing industry employs many people throughout Uist, both on land and at sea. At the moment, the fishing fleet in Uist is being greatly renewed. The first new boat, the Charlene Anne, has just launched.
[Donald Archie Nicolson] It’s a catamaran. The boat is built for safety. You have more room and more speed, you’ve got range and it’ll take around five hundred creels. So, half of my creels in one load. So, I can move creels quite a distance.
[Shona MacDonald – Reporter] Another catamaran is also being built, along with a more traditional boat. That’s the biggest boat of the three and the fishermen will be at sea with it all week.
[David Stewart] It will be almost the same length as the boat we’ve got. It will pull sixteen dredges, compared to the boat we’ve got, which pulls fourteen. The new boat should be, easier for work and a lot more comfortable to stay on. And the most important thing is that’s it’s new and there won’t be as much maintenance to do.
[Shona MacDonald – Reporter] Although help, such as an interest-free loan, is available to buy a boat, no help is available to build a new fishing boat. Three fishermen must be very confident to spend £1,600,000 on three boats.
[Donald Archie Nicolson] We get a high price for prawns just now. The past two years have been good. But around five years ago they were scarce. But there aren’t as many boats out now. A lot of the lead-boats have gone, they’re very expensive.
[David Stewart] I started fishing around seven years ago and I’ve never seen it as good as this. We use a lot of clams and have for two or three years. And this year, the price has been good.
[Shona MacDonald – Reporter] The two new boats are expected between spring and summer next year. Shona MacDonald, BBC An Là, Uist.
[Iain MacIllEathain – Preseantair] Tha e na shamhla air cho dòchasach ‘s a tha cùisean a’ coimhead do gnìomhasach an iasgaich ann an Uibhist, gum bi triùir sgiobairean air còrr is aon gu leth millean not a chosg air eathraichean ùr ro mheadhan na h-ath bhliadhna. Tha aon de na bàtaichean-iasgaich, an Charlene Ann, air a dhol gu muir mu thràth agus tha a dhà eile an-dràsta gan tògail. Tha Shona NicDhòmhnaill ag aithris.
[Shona NicDhòmhnaill – Neach-aithris] Tha gnìomhasach an iasgaich a’ cumail grunn mòr dhaoine ann an cosnadh eadar dà cheann Uibhist. An dà chuid aig muir agus air tìr. An-dràsta thathar ag ath-nuadhachadh gu mòr a’ chabhlach iasgaich ann an Uibhist.. Tha a’ chiad bhàta ùr, an Charlene Ann, dìreach air a dhol dhan uisge.
[Dòmhnall Eàrdsaidh Macneachail] ‘S e catamaran a th’ innte. Tha an eathar dìreach air a togail timcheall air sàbhailteachd. Tha barrachd rùim agad agus tha barrachd astar agad, is tha range agad, agus bheir i leatha mu chòig cheud cliath. So, that’s like, an dàrna leth dhe na clèibh agam air an aon luchd. So, faodaidh mi cliabh a shioftadh pìos mòr.
[Shona NicDhòmhnaill – Neach-aithris] Thathar cuideachd a’ togail catarmaran eile agus bàta nas traidiseanta. ‘S i am bàta sin an tè as motha dhe na trì. Agus bidh na h-iasgairean air falbh bhon phort leatha sin fad na seachdain.
[Daibhidh Stiùbhart] Tha i gu bhith, car, an aon fhaid’ ris an eathar a th’ againn. Tha i gu bhith a’ slaodadh sia-deug do dhreidsean, seach mar an eathar a th’ againn, tha i a’ slaodadh ceithir-deug. Tha còir gum bi an eathar ùr againn, gum bi i gu math nas fhurasta airson obair. Agus gum bi i gu math nas cofhurtail airson fuireach innte. Agus an rud as cudromaiche, ‘s e, gum bi i ùr, agus cha bhi a leithid do maintenance agad ann.
[Shona NicDhòmhnaill – Neach-aithris] Ged a tha taic ann, mar iasad gun riadh airson bàta a cheannach, chan eil taic sam bith ri fhaighinn airson bàta-iasgaich gu tur ùr a thogail. Feumaidh misneachd gu leòr a bhith aig triùir iasgairean millean agus sia-ceud mìle not a chur a-mach airson trì eathraichean.
[Dòmhnall Eàrdsaidh Macneachail] Tha sinn a’ faighinn prìsean mòra air muasgain-caola an ceart-uair. An dà bhliadhna mu dheireadh bha iad math againn. Ach, mu chòig bliadhna air ais, bha iad gu math gann an uair sin. Ach chan eil uimhir de dh’eathraichean a-muigh ‘s a bha ann a-nis. Tòrr dhe na eathraichean-luadh air falbh, tha leithid do chosgais ann.
[Daibhidh Stiùbhart] Thòisich mise ag iasgach mu seachd bliadhna air ais agus chan fhaca mise cho math seo fhathast. Tha sinn a’ cleachdadh tòrr creachainn agus tha airson a dhà no trì bhliadhnaichean. Agus am-bliadhna, tha prìs air a bhith math.
[Shona NicDhòmhnaill – Neach-aithris] Tha dùil ris an dà bhàta ùr eile eadar an Earrach agus toiseach an t-Samhraidh an ath-bhliadhna. Shona NicDhòmhnaill, BBC An Là, Uibhist.
[John MacLean – Presenter] It’s symbolic of how hopeful things look in the fishing industry in Uist that three skippers will have spent more than £1.5m on new boats by the middle of next year. One of the fishing boats, the Charlene Ann, has already gone to sea and the other two are being built at present. Shona MacDonald reports.
[Shona MacDonald – Reporter] The fishing industry employs many people throughout Uist, both on land and at sea. At the moment, the fishing fleet in Uist is being greatly renewed. The first new boat, the Charlene Anne, has just launched.
[Donald Archie Nicolson] It’s a catamaran. The boat is built for safety. You have more room and more speed, you’ve got range and it’ll take around five hundred creels. So, half of my creels in one load. So, I can move creels quite a distance.
[Shona MacDonald – Reporter] Another catamaran is also being built, along with a more traditional boat. That’s the biggest boat of the three and the fishermen will be at sea with it all week.
[David Stewart] It will be almost the same length as the boat we’ve got. It will pull sixteen dredges, compared to the boat we’ve got, which pulls fourteen. The new boat should be, easier for work and a lot more comfortable to stay on. And the most important thing is that’s it’s new and there won’t be as much maintenance to do.
[Shona MacDonald – Reporter] Although help, such as an interest-free loan, is available to buy a boat, no help is available to build a new fishing boat. Three fishermen must be very confident to spend £1,600,000 on three boats.
[Donald Archie Nicolson] We get a high price for prawns just now. The past two years have been good. But around five years ago they were scarce. But there aren’t as many boats out now. A lot of the lead-boats have gone, they’re very expensive.
[David Stewart] I started fishing around seven years ago and I’ve never seen it as good as this. We use a lot of clams and have for two or three years. And this year, the price has been good.
[Shona MacDonald – Reporter] The two new boats are expected between spring and summer next year. Shona MacDonald, BBC An Là, Uist.