Just a few weeks after the delivery of Prion to its Spanish-Falklands joint venture owners, the Nodosa Shipyard in Marín has delivered a second 85-metre freezer trawler designed to operate on squid in the South Atlantic.
Argos Berbés has been built for the Orion Fishing Company, a joint venture between Vigo fishing operator Armadora Pereira and Falklands company Argos Group. This followers the delivery in 2018 to the same owners of Argos Ciés, which has operated successfully and which took the College of Naval and Ocean Engineers award for the best new vessel of that year.
‘The construction of Argos Berbés reaffirms our solid relationship with Armadora Pereira, a company with a 70-year history, and which continues to generate employment and wealth in our communities,’ said Argos Group director Sheila Stewart.
The experience with Argos Ciés prompted the owners to go back to Nodosa for this larger vessel, and also provided a number of positive jumping-off points for the design of Argos Berbés, which has an even more pronounced inverted bow, based the performance of Argos Ciés in the challenging conditions of the South Atlantic.
Armadora Pereira’s technical staff have been closely involved in the development process, alongside the yard’s design team. The hull has been optimised for optimal performance in any sea conditions, not least in heavy weather, to minimise fuel consumption.
The owners were looking for a strong emphasis on the safety and comfort of the crew, energy efficiency, respect for the environment and catch quality. Argos Berbés is outfitted with systems to minimise mortality to seabirds and other marine animals.
Argos Berbés has a factory deck set up with a variety of production routes and to handle different species, although the primary target species is Patagonian squid. The refrigeration plant on board operates using ammonia as its refrigerant.
‘We take pride in continuing to invest with our Argos Group partners in the renewal of our fleet and in a fishing area with a target species as important to us as the Patagonian squid. This is a fishery that is a model of sustainability and responsible fishing,’ said José Enrique Pereira Molares, President of Armadora Pereira.
The launch ceremony at the Nodosa Shipyard in Marín brought together 300 guests from the industry, government and institutions in both Galicia and the Falkland Islands.
‘It’s an honour to design and build a totally customised, technologically advanced and environmentally friendly vessel for shipowners who understand that quality and sustainability are the way forward,’ said José Ramón Regueira, Commercial Director of Nodosa Shipyard.
