The Roy Kristian out of Aalesund, Norway, a key seaport for the fishing industry. The Kristian is a fish carrier, built in 2001. Moored at the North Pier, Oban, today. When a boat has a masculine name, do you still refer to it as She - I thought all boats were traditionally She?

A huge lorry with 6 enormous fish tanks was just finishing up loading young salmon [or baby salmon as the driver told me with a glint in his eye]. En route to Mull fish farms. This, he said, is not even one of the largest boats for carrying fish for fish farms. Looking at the lengths of tubes and tunnels the poor fish have to go down, I should think this is big enough.

Now I love my fish, to eat, but have very mixed feelings about fish farms. I've passed them out at sea, with fish constantly jumping so high it makes you wonder what is happening to them. I have to admit to a little glow of pleasure and relief when I hear that one is breached, but the consequences to wild fish are not good, so any relief is short lived. And what is done to seals who breach the farms doesn't bear thinking about either. I try to buy or eat wild fish when possible, but it gets more and more difficult, not to mention expensive.

The driver told me these salmon were heading to organic fish farms, and I could have sworn he gave me a wink as well as a cheeky grin.

more pix of the Roy Kristian on Blipfolio