Scopale, based in Boulogne-sur-Mer, has welcomed its fourth new fishing vessel to the port. Built for Sébastien and Guillaume Leprêtre, the new Mercator is a 22 metre trawler/seine netter, and while it has significantly less engine power than the 1991-built trawler it replaces, it is more flexible and has better conditions for the crew.
Like the previous three newbuilds in the series for Scopale, Rose de Cascia, La Trinité and Marmouset 3, the new Mercator has been completed at the Padmos yard in Holland on a hull constructed at Manche Industrie Marine in Dieppe. A fifth vessel built to the same design, Manureva, will be delivered later this year for Étaples fishermen Emmanuel Pochet and Maxime Fait.
These 19.20 metre trawler/flyshooters have proved to be successful, fishing well and with significantly lower fuel costs than the trawlers they have replaced, capable of fishing with seine net, pelagic and demersal trawls, depending on the season and the target species. Key species for the Boulogne fleet are the non-quota red mullet, squid and cuttlefish, as well as quota species including mackerel, herring and whiting.
Scopale was established in 2015 in Boulogne as a company the manage the conversion to these new fishing vessels. Scopale’s role is to acquire licences and vessels of those wishing to leave the industry, disposing of these old fishing vessels and holding on to the licences to put these towards joint ventures with skippers wanting to invest. This keeps the licences and the landings in Boulogne, while providing the opportunities for the fleet to be renewed with newer and more efficient capacity.
Scopale is a joint project by Boulogne co-operative CME, fishing company Scapêche, part of the Les Mousquetaires group, and Boulogne company Le Garrec.
