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January
23, 2006
10 per cent jump in Burnham-On-Sea
shipping
traffic during 2005
![The Arco Dee cargo ship passes Burnham-On-Sea at sunset [Photo: Alan Miller]](arco-dee.jpg)
Official
figures released this week show the number of cargo ships passing
Burnham-On-Sea on their way to Dunball and Bridgwater increased
by
almost ten per cent during
2005.
The
stats from the Harbour Master show 85 large vessels passed Burnham
last year compared to 79 during 2004.
Income
from harbour dues and pilotage also increased during the period
- by around 14 per cent.
 A
spokesman said: "In addition to benefits to the local economy,
moving goods by sea helps the environment through reduced congestion
and greatly increased energy efficiency. Coastal shipping is up
to five times as energy efficient as road transport per tonne/mile."
In
the fifteen years since 1989, the average cargo size in the Port
of Bridgwater area has more than trebled from 400 tonnes per ship
visit to over 1,330.
Cargo
includes animal feed additive from northern Europe, granite from
Portugal and sea-dredged aggregate from the Bristol Channel.
Indications
are that the port will continue to thrive during 2006.
Sedgemoor
District Council is the statutory harbour and pilotage authority
for the Port of Bridgwater, which covers Bridgwater Bay from Brean
Down to Hinkley Point, and the River Parrett from Burnham-On-Sea
to Bridgwater.
RELATED
LINKS:
Sea traffic rose during 2004
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