Kaliningrad fishing gear supplier Fishering Service has supplied an Atlantica 1460 pelagic trawl in a combination of hexagonal and diamond meshes to a Russian RSW trawler, one of only a few RSW-equipped pelagic vessels operating in the region.
Former Danish pelagic vessel Asbjørn Senior was renamed Asbjorn for its new role in the Russian Far East, fishing for mackerel, pollock and squid. Owners South Kurils Fishing Factory already operate three conventional factory vessels, but were interested in trying the option of landing fresh catches in RSW, and this is only the second pelagic vessel of its kind to handle its fish this way in the Russian Far East.
An addition to the South Kurils Fishing Factory fleet and not a replacement for an older vessel, Asbjorn is also a new customer for Fishering Service which manufactures its range of pelagic trawls at its Kaliningrad net loft using both diamond and hexagonal meshes to optimise water flow and fishing capacity.
The company produces its own FS nylon material for its trawl gear, including braided netting and 12-stranded nylon braided and jacketed ropes for producing spliced bars for large meshes. Dyneema is used for the frame lines and hoisting lines.
‘South Kurils Fishing Factory are a new customer for us,’ said Dmitriy Fedorov of Fishering Service. ‘They came to us for Asbjorn’s gear after we had been recommended by our other customers in that region.’
Asbjorn is fishing with an 11 square metre pair of Injector Monarch trawl doors and Dyneema bridles and backstrops sourced from a supplier in Korea.
The Atlantica pelagic trawl supplied for Asbjorn is made with an eight-panel belly and eight-panel codends. According to Dmitriy Fedorov, producing this kind of gear is more labour intensive than the usual four-panel trawls and this affects the price, but the results are worth it as the gear performs much more effectively.
Fishering Service supplied the full package of the trawl itself and a variety of spare material, plus three 80 metre pumping codends for pollock, squid and mackerel fisheries. Like the trawl bellies, these are made in eight panels, which contributes to a better shape while towing and this keeps the meshes fully open for a better flow of water through the gear, leading to improved handling and quality of the fish.
