Welsh fish auction faces closure threat

The only fish auction in Wales could face closure unless an external party can be found to take it over within the next month.

The facility at Milford Haven, Pembrokeshire, hailed as ground-breaking when it was established as the UK's first fish auction to use an electronic bidding system in 1998, has suffered from increased uncertainty surrounding the European fishing industry, declining landings and a particularly poor trading year in the last 12 months.

Auctioneer Hefyn Williams believed the closure of the auction would spell disaster for the local fishing fleet. "It could mean the closure of the fishing industry here - where are the smaller trawlers going to sell their fish?" he asked.

However, a spokesman for the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) refuted that the closure of the private commercial enterprise would cripple fishermen in the area. He said: "They might lose a competitive edge in the price, but they could still sell to merchants."

Mary Ann Gilchrist, chef-proprietor of three-AA-rosette Carlton House in Powys, said sea specialists were backing out because larger hotels were dealing with big companies instead.

"That makes it hard for others to source these quality products," she added. "Perhaps smaller trawlers could market themselves direct to restaurants."

n Fish guru Rick Stein is offering a new course in fish-filleting aimed at the professional chef at his Padstow Seafood School. Inspiration for the course came after the North Shields Fish Filleting Training School began a nationwide mobile training facility on board a bus.

Techniques taught on the day-long course will include filleting and skinning fish, descaling, preparing fish for steaks and escalopes, and the opening and preparing of shellfish. Visit www.rickstein.com for more information.