MILFORD Marina recently welcomed the FPV Rhodri Morgan, one of five new fisheries patrol vessels taking to the waters in 2019.

The boat was built by local company Mainstay Marine Solutions, and was named in Cardiff Bay in December, memorialising former First Minister of Wales Rhodri Morgan.

The vessel is 26 metres long, weighs 75 tons, and carries 11,000 litres of fuel.

It also has room for a 6.5 metre sea-boat.

It was built, along with four other vessels, to replace the previous fleet.

This fleet will patrol Welsh waters looking for illegal fishing activity.

Melanie Durney, Docks and Marina manager, said: “As Wales’ largest fishing port, we are honoured to have the FPV Rhodri Morgan here in the marina.

"It is an impressive vessel, and we are pleased to see that it will be part of the fleet patrolling the Welsh fishing grounds.”

At an official naming ceremony last year, Welsh Government energy, planning and rural affairs secretary Lesley Griffiths said: “It’s an honour to be able to name this vessel after Rhodri Morgan - a man who gave so much to Wales and left an indelible mark on our history.

"This will be a fitting tribute to someone who had a great love of the Welsh seas and our wonderful nature."

She said the new vessel would use cutting edge technology to lead the fight against illegal fishing activity.

“These vessels will be at the forefront of protecting Welsh waters and our fishing industry, providing a high speed response capability to ensure Wales continues to effectively enforce fisheries and marine laws," she said.

“Ahead of the challenges that we face in a post-Brexit world, it is more important than ever that we focus on sustainability and ensuring our fishing industry is at its strongest possible so we can thrive in the years to come.”