Scallop trawlers operated by 'TN Trawlers' of Annan are seen regularly at Silloth.
The dock is used to offload catch & carry out maintenance.
The scallop is an inshore species living on soft sand or shingle sediments. Harvesting shellfish is a lucrative sector of the fishing industry.
UK scallops are recognised for their quality & find a ready market in France & Spain.
They are transported bagged as shown in the photo left of Manx shellfish.
Scallop dredging involves towing the dredge, effectively a large rake, together with its attached net along the seabed. The Scallop Association promotes initiatives to reduce the environmental impact of dredging & conserve stocks around the UK coast. The fleet is nomadic with movements dictated by factors such as the season, restrictions to fisheries etc.
Below is a collection of recent photos of the TN fleet at Silloth.
TOBRACH~N, TN.2, (Troon)
The vessel was built at Hepworth Shipyard, Hull in 1999 (147ton 23m).
She was the SOLWAY RANGER, BA 818, of Ballantrae until 2005.
TOBRACH~N photographed on 28th Aug 2012 at the south quay, right.
Below seen 11th Mar 2013 outbound on the morning tide.
NOORDZEE, TN 30, (Troon), Feb 2013
The 239ton vessel was built in 1980 at Hardinxveld-Giessendam, Netherlands as CORNELIS WILLEM, GO42,(Goedereede).
She had two name changes, DAGERAAD GO32 & NOORDZEE GO27, before joining TN Trawlers as TN30.
Pictured right alongside PHILOMENA TN37, 14th Feb 2013.
Photographed below at the north quay, 24th Feb 2013.
OLIVIA JEAN TN35 (Troon), IMO 7907867
The Dutch built (1980, 240ton) vessel is the former Brixham based SASHA EMIEL, BM181.
OLIVIA JEAN is tied up alongside MATTANJA TN36 at the north quay on a misty morning, 11th Dec 2012. Twenty five minutes later they were bathed in sunshine.
Below, OLIVIA JEAN outbound, 7th Mar 2016.
On 14th Feb 2017 she was photographed at the east quay with her dredging gear laid out on the dockside.
MATTANJA TN36 (Annan)
Inbound 28th Feb 2013 while general cargo vessel NINA, IMO 9156199 waits her turn to enter port. The trawler was built in the Netherlands in 1973 (217ton 32m).
Shortly after arrival she unloaded her sizeable bagged catch into a waiting wagon.
PHILOMENA TN37, IMO 7015456
Photographed at the south quay on 14th Feb 2013,.
The 176ton 30m vessel was built in 1970. She was registered in the IOM as DO2 before being bought by TN in 2000. She is unusual in not having her port of registry painted on the stern.
Below she is seen outbound 17th Mar 2014
Georg 'Lou-N TN38 (Troon)
Built as a line-trawler in 1978 (160ton 26m) as GIRL PAT III (Newlyn) by McTay Marine of Bromborough. She was converted to a beam-trawler in 1982.
Georg 'Lou-N seen outbound 27th Mar 2012.
On 27th Sep 2013 she was photographed being towed into Workington by local tug DERWENT after losing power in the Solway.
Below, under her own steam outbound from Silloth on 14th Feb 2017 :