Cornwall Council Faces £76,000 Bill for Sunken Fishing Boat Removal

The removal of a fishing boat that sank in a Cornish harbour will incur a cost of £76,000. The vessel, named Karina Olsen, went down earlier this month after being docked in Penzance Harbour for over two decades. As reported by the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS), Cornwall Council has contracted Sam Gilpin Demolition Ltd, a salvaging company, to dispose of the ex-trawler. The council stated that despite the presence of an oil boom around the boat, some oil had leaked, and they had urged the owners to take the vessel out of the harbour. Back in January, the council had indicated its intention to remove the Karina Olsen from Penzance Harbour. A spokesperson for the local authority confirmed, stating: “Cornwall Council can confirm an Environment Agency-approved contractor has been contracted to dispose of the vessel.” The LDRS reported that the 17-meter (67-foot) Danish-built vessel was acquired in April and subsequently sold in September, preceding its sinking after taking on water. Initially, the Karina Olsen served as a North Sea fishing vessel, later being utilized for dive charters and survey operations before transitioning into a live-aboard boat during its mooring in Penzance.