PrimKrab, the crab fishing subsidiary of the Russian Fishery Company, has signed an agreement with design company Nautic Rus to develop a design for a new type of crabbing vessel. The new design is to be delivered within two months and a decision on the final design will be made once the project has been approved.
‘The vessels we plan to build will meet all modern requirements, in terms of technical equipment, and also in terms of safety and environmental performance,’ commented PrimCrab CEO Alexander Kirichenko.
‘New capacities will facilitate the use of the company’s quotas, and also provide decent working conditions for the crew.’
PrimKrab was established in 2017 as an operating company to develop the 2400 tonne crab quota purchased by the Russian Fishery Company during the auctions for quota distribution in the Primorskaya subarea. The company has already acquired six older vessels that have been converted to operate as crabber, and which are currently fishing.
The company plans to build up to ten crabbers and hopes that the construction will be carried out at a shipyard in the Russian Far East. The tender for construction is expected to be announced in nine months.
‘This kind of project, especially in ship construction, is very important for the region,’ said Valentin Dubinin, vice-governor of Primorsky Krai.
‘I believe that it is not right to buy used ships, it is important to build your own. It is necessary to develop domestic shipbuilding.’
The design and construction of crabbing vessels ‘from scratch’ is new. At present, crabbing vessels are generally converted from other uses.
‘The company specialises in co-operation with Icelandic engineers who have many years of experience in designing fishing vessels and developing re-equipment projects for crab harvesting. They are able to develop unique vessels capable of completely changing the face of the Russian fishing fleet,’ Nautic Rus CEO Artem Stropilov.
‘The concept of the new vessel brings together the latest design and engineering solutions, energy-efficient technologies. At the same time, special attention is paid to the safety and comfort of the crew.’
Nautic Rus is a Russian design company based in St. Petersburg, specialising in fishing vessel design.
