Goldeneye

I recently visited Shell at the St Fergus Gas Terminal for an update regarding the Goldeneye project, which will see the creation of jobs in Banff and Buchan in the early part of 2003. The new build at the Shell plant will need a wide range of staff.

Yes, sometimes people forget that St Fergus is not just about offshore work. There is a lot of work which is carried out onshore. There will be local roadshows and I welcome their commitment to employ local labour wherever possible. Although the majority of jobs won’t start until 2003, tendering has already began for the major contracts.

Meantime details on the project are on the web at www.goldeneye-venture.com.

As well as a discussion about Goldeneye, which incidentally is so called named after a beautiful duck, I was given the chance of a visit around the plant. Unfortunately it was on a very wet and dreary day!

The control room was a place to linger – indoors and looking a bit like the bridge from Star Trek. I dared not touch any anything for fear of a plant shut down. And run by just five members of staff.

I couldn’t help but notice the size of the plant and equipment on site. So does it get there? The answer gave a new twist on the general discontent about our roads. Shell use the Peterhead to Fraserburgh and Aberdeen to Peterhead roads to transport the necessary equipment.

And some of it can be very large. I was told of a load being 200 tonnes. Just try and imagine that size of load on a lorry going over the Inverugie bridge! Also, just like you and me, Shell do not want their lorries congesting the roads.

Yet another reminder that good roads matter in our area – and we don’t have them.

Rod Fishing

A consultation has just been announced into a possible ban on the sale of rod caught trout and salmon. Now let me say at once that I used to spend a lot of time with my father catching brown trout using a worm and hook. And very successful we were.

But is this the thin end of the wedge? Some people have been heard to suggest that rod and line fishing should be banned. I don’t agree. It is one of our most popular pastimes.

Now the argument appears to be based around the declining number of sporting fish – salmon and sea trout to you and me – that are being caught year on year. And owners of fishing rights are generally only allowing catch and return. Only occasionally are fish actually taken out.

On the other hand there are quite a few fish farms which offer anglers the opportunity to catch and take fish by rod. Is that to be banned too?

So you heard it here first. The Scottish government say they want your views on this. If you have any, give them to them now before it is too late.