Russian fishing company Stalactite, part of the Marfish group, has invested in a major refit of one of its fishing vessels for fishing in the Baltic.
Captain Lobanov has undergone a large-scale refit at the Mezhkolkhoz production base yard at Svetloe near Kaliningrad, where it was stripped down to the keel, and rebuilt with new tanks fitted, deck equipment and electrical systems.
According to Nikolai Nechay of Marfish, Captain Lobanov has been operated since the 1970s and has been around 80% renewed during the refit, doubling its power and carrying capacity, improving catch quality and ensuring that the vessel meets all modern requirements.
An investment of around 120 million Rubles (€1.70 million) has gone into refitting Captain Lobanov, which is now expected to have another thirty years of fishing ahead of it.
‘The measures that are being taken in the fishing industry, including by the President, such as investment quotas and other mechanisms, have resulted in a serious growth in interest among fishermen to modernise vessels and build new ones,’ said Kaliningrad Regional Governor Anton Alikhanov during the launch ceremony for Captain Lobanov.
This is the first trawler in the Kaliningrad region to undergo such an extensive refit.
‘I was here about a year and a half ago, and then there were only the first plans being made for the extensive modernisation of this vessel, and today we are seeing it launched. This is the first, and there will be more such projects,’ Anton Alikhanov said
He said that a decision has been taken to extend the region’s fishing industry development programme to 2030, placing the emphasis on fleet renewal.
Captain Lobanov is expected to be back fishing early next year.
