DFFU’s factory trawler Berlin NC-107 has landed its first shrimp trip of the year, landing 390 tonnes in Tromsø after 33 days at sea.
‘We spent the entire trip in the Hopen Deep. We saw consistent volumes throughout the trip, with around 13 tonnes produced per day. When catching shrimp, the biggest challenge is having the patience to wait rather than trying something different or searching elsewhere when fishing is slow. Many other shrimp vessels around Svalbard try this, and then they return to the Hopen Deep,’ said skipper Teitur Björgvinsson.
At night shrimp ascend in the water column to graze on microscopic organisms that drift in the water, and then return to the bottom during the day. During the 24-hour daylight of the northern summer, shrimp spend longer periods on the bottom.
Built as a factory trawler capable of operating on both groundfish and shrimp, Berlin has a sophisticated factory deck and operates with a crew of 29 when fishing for groundfish, and 24 when targeting shrimp. When fishing for Greenland halibut, Berlin works with a crew of 18.
Berlin’s factory deck produces three types of shrimp products from Pandalus borealis – frozen raw shrimp and two varieties of cooked shrimp.
‘This is not conventional shrimp processing, and the production line is smaller than on dedicated shrimp vessels. However, we can produce more than 20 tonnes of shrimp products per day when fishing is going well. We have made some adjustments to the vessel’s shrimp capabilities since last year. This was the first shrimp trip in nine months, and it went well. I think vessel management has managed to overcome all the shrimp-related challenges that arose when the vessel was a newbuild,’ Teitur Björgvinsson said.
‘The Alda Seafood and DFFU teams onshore closely follow product prices and are in daily communication with us, so we can adjust production to maximise the value of catches and focus on products that deliver the highest prices. We are producing shrimp in different types of packaging for a variety of customers.’
After a crew change and landing in Tromsø, Berlin headed back to start fishing again in the Hopen Deep, before switching to fishing grounds north of Svalbard.
