2017 has been an eventful year for Icelandic fishing company Vísir, based at Grindavík on the south coast, from where it operates its fleet of longliners.
Vísir announced this week that it has agreed a merger with another local company, Marver, which operates longliner Daðey, which is expected to boost Vísir’s shore-based processing by bringing its 1100 tonne cod quota to the company.
According to managing director Pétur Hafsteinn Pálsson, Vísir this year sold its operation in Canada, streamlining the company’s activities, and Vísir has also this year worked closely with Marel to develop its bespoke processing lines.
As has already been reported, Vísir has signed a contract with the Alkor yard in Poland for a new Navís-designed longliner to replace Páll Jónsson and existing longliner Arney is currently undergoing a major refit.
‘Only 2/3 of the steelwork of the vessel remains, so we are almost talking about a newbuild here,’ Pétur Hafsteinn Pálsson said.’This vessel will be delivered in mid-2018 and will replace Sighvatur which has fished for us since 1980.’
He added that there is an option for a second newbuild from Alkor, and if this is taken up, then that new vessel would replace Kristín.
Vísir recently took delivery of the refitted Fjölnir while the older vessel of the same name that it replaced has been scrapped. Another of its vessels, Jóhanna has a planned major refit ahead of it that would be completed in 2021.
