New fishing vessels continue to be built in Europe, entering service just as the coronavirus crisis has caused a significant slowdown in the global seafood trade.
The Nueva Pescanova Group launched the NovaNam One, the second of three new 50-meter-long wetfish ships built for hake fishing by the group’s affiliate in Namibia, on 10 March. It is equipped with energy-efficient engines – allowing for high performance, reducing consumption and emissions – as well as improvements in the on-board processing system and greater comfort for the crews. The Pontevedra, Spain-based vertically integrated seafood firm is in the midst of a larger, EUR 42.5 million (USD 45.9 million) project to build seven new vessels, include several new vessels that will join its fleet in Mozambique. Currently, Nueva Pescanova operates 70 fishing vessels in the Southern Hemisphere.
Similarly, on 27 March, Vladivostok, Russia-based Russian Fishery Company launched the lead vessel of its 10 new “super-trawlers,” which it will spend RUB 65 billion (USD 851.7 million, EUR 789.9 million) building. The “Captain Vdovichenko” and its yet-to-be-built sister ships will each have an annual catching capacity of 60,000 metric tons, and will be geared to catch Alaska pollock and Pacific herring in the Russian Far East. Each of the vessels will be equipped with a modern onboard line capable of “non-waste processing products with high added value, primarily fillet of pollock and surimi,” the company said. The vessels are being built as part of a government incentive program that gives fishing companies in Russia additional quota in exchange for building new fishing vessels in the country.
“The launch of the leading Russian super-trawler for the RFC was carried out in accordance with the schedule, and we expect that the entire series will be completed on time,” RFC CEO Viktor Litvinenko said in a press release. “It is very important that Russian shipbuilding has received a powerful impetus for long-term development. For the first time in a long period, Russian shipyards are backed up with orders for several years to come.”
Northbay Fishing Co., a subsidiary of Plymouth, England-based Interfish, and Wiseman Fishing Company have jointly commissioned the “Artemis,” a 75-meter pelagic trawler, from the Karstensen Shipyard. The “Artemis” is scheduled to be delivered by June 2022 and will fish for mackerel and herring out of Banff, Scotland.
Karstensen Shipyard said in a press release that it is currently working through orders for 10 pelagic vessels to be delivered over the next two years.
“The design, specification and arrangements of ‘Artemis’ is a result of an extensive and close cooperation between owners and yard, where all details have been tailor made to suit Owners exact specifications,” Karstensen said in a press release. “Focus has been on optimizing catch quality and hygiene, in order to allow [the] ‘Artemis’ to land first-class quality products.”
And lastly, Helsinki, Finland-based Wärtsilä has been contracted to provide the ship design for a new, state-of-the-art krill fishing vessel for Shanghai Chonghe Marine Industry (CMI).
The 140-meter-long vessel will operate in the krill fishing grounds of Antarctica, and will be designed to be “the largest and most efficient of its kind in the world,” including being fit out with high-tech fishing equipment, onboard processing capabilities for high-quality krill products, and a high-efficiency engine, Wärtsilä said in a press release.
Wärtsilä previously designed CMI’s 21-meter-long “Shen Lan,” the world’s largest purpose-built vessel for fishing Antarctic krill. The “Shen Lan” will be launched soon, according to the company.
“We are excited to announce our plans for the world’s biggest and most advanced krill trawler. Wärtsilä was a natural choice for us, following the excellent collaboration in designing the ‘Shen Lan,’” CMI CEO Laurent Wang said in a press release. “Wärtsilä has proven to be a capable and reliable partner for us, and we are happy to strengthen our cooperation with them.”
The scheduled delivery of the completed vessel is expected by 2023, Wang said.
Photo courtesy of Russian Fishery Company
