The Trawler News

On September 9, 2025, Freire Shipyard launched the new Arctic freezer trawler, built for Canadian fishing company Qikiqtaaluk Fisheries Corporation.The Saputi II, with a length of 79 meters, a beam of 17 meters and capacity for 34 crewmembers, will be equipped with a high-efficiency, low-emission Wärtsilä engine.Designed by Skipsteknisk and supported by Allswater Marine Consultants, the vessel will play a key role in the sustainable harvesting of shrimp and Greenland halibut in waters between Greenland and Canada.Compared to its predecessor…

Taiwan's defence minister dismissed on Friday China's complaints about a collision between a Taiwan navy ship and a Chinese trawler in the sensitive Taiwan Strait, vowing that Taipei would carry on military exercises undeterred.China's Taiwan Affairs Office condemned the actions of the Taiwanese landing ship as "wicked" following Thursday's collision off Taiwan's central city of Taichung. Taiwan, however, said it did not take place in "restricted" waters."The Taiwan Affairs Office always says things like this…

Greece's Ombudsman has found that the coast guard failed to follow maritime rules in one of the Mediterranean's worst shipwrecks in 2023, raising the alarm only after the overcrowded migrant boat sank, sources told Reuters.The conclusions of the inquiry by Greek Ombudsman Andreas Pottakis, which have not been published, confirm survivors' testimonies and have been sent to a naval court investigating potential criminal actions by the authority.Last week, Pottakis recommended disciplinary…

On the night of February 8, 2000, the crew of the British research vessel, Royal Research Ship (RRS) Discovery, were braced for a storm.Wind speeds had been increasing over the previous night creating conditions no one onboard had ex-perienced before – or would want to experience again.From mid-afternoon on the 8th to mid-morning on the 9th, wave heights were topping 20 m in height and even reached 29.1 m – the equivalent to a ten-storey building – peaking around midnight.Even for 250 km west of Scotland, out in the North Atlantic, these were abnormal conditions.

A Greek Ombudsman has recommended disciplinary action against eight coastguard officers for alleged dereliction of duty in one of the deadliest migrant shipwrecks off Greece in which hundreds died in 2023.The inquiry is the first to conclude on the circumstances surrounding the shipwreck off the southwestern coastal town of Pylos on June 14, 2023, which sank in plain sight of Greek coastguard authorities with about 750 people on board.The trawler, named Ariana, had left Libya…

Unlocking new levels of multibeam performance with Norwegian Subsea MRUMotion Reference Units (MRUs) are crucial in bathymetric survey technology, providing precise motion compensation data to ensure reliable and accurate seafloor mapping. For users like Captain Sid Hynes, a seasoned mariner exploring Newfoundland’s shipwreck-rich waters, the Norwegian Subsea MRU has redefined what is possible, delivering exceptional performance even in incredibly challenging conditions.The ChallengeAlong with his son…

The Coast Guard rescued four people Thursday night from a fishing boat after a collision between two fishing boats occurred approximately 10 miles south of Block Island, Rhode Island. At approximately 8:30 p.m. Thursday, Coast Guard Sector Long Island Sound received a distress call via VHF-FM channel 16 of two fishing boats colliding.Coast Guard Sector Long Island Sound watchstanders issued an urgent marine information broadcast and dispatched crews aboard a Coast Guard Station…

New vessel’s performance exceeds efficiency expectations, says Damen.Recently, the first in series Damen Shrimp Trawler 2607 successfully completed its sea trials in the Port of Hamriya, UAE. Damen has designed the new vessel for the next generation of (sub) tropical shrimp fishing. The design aims at the provision of a straightforward, no-nonsense platform, easy to operate and with minimal maintenance requirements. The Shrimp Trawler 2607 has an extremely low fuel consumption…

Seventy-five years in business is no small feat, especially in an industry that is tougher than most: shipbuilding. Blount Boats is celebrating the impressive milestone this year.Established in 1949, the Warren, R.I. shipbuilder is led today by founder Luther H. Blount’s daughters: president and CFO Marcia Blount and executive vice president / human resources Julie Blount, who see their roles as more than a career. “It’s our vocation,” Julie said. “It’s in our blood!” the sisters said nearly simultaneously.An entrepreneur and inventor by nature, Luther H.

Bergen Engines announced a new contract with VARD to supply a Bergen B33:45L9P propulsion engine to the Norwegian owner Havbryn AS, a part of Strand Rederi. The vessel will be built in VARD’s 8 02 design and operate on a hybrid diesel-electric propulsion system, minimizing fuel consumption and greenhouse gas emissions while in operation.The new stern trawler, with a length of 80.4 meters and a beam of 16.7 meters, is being constructed with an ice-strengthened hull according to Ice-1A standards, and it will feature an advanced H/G processing factory, and spacious cargo areas.

Search and rescue for missing persons is always challenging for the specialist recovery teams involved, regardless of the environment they’re working in.But the teams looking for the missing aboard the Bayesian yacht which sank off the coast of Sicily leaving several people dead, have faced particularly challenging conditions. Even though the boat lies in relatively shallow water of 50 meters, underwater operations are affected by numerous factors which make them the most complex of search and rescue efforts.Best practice shows that searches should be coordinated…

A tugboat crew was recently called upon to tow in a fire-stricken trawler that had been abandoned in the Gulf of Maine.The 81-foot fishing vessel Three Girls had been adrift since August 11 when an onboard fire forced its crew to evacuate about 105 nautical miles east of Portsmouth, N.H. The U.S. Coast Guard rescued the six people that had been on board—including a captain, a NOAA observer and four crew members—but the trawler itself was left ablaze and adrift out at sea.The team at McAllister Towing's Portland Tugboat was called in to tow the burning vessel back to shore.Capt.

Activists from several countries are setting out on a converted trawler to defy an Israeli blockade and deliver humanitarian aid to Palestinians in the Gaza Strip."The purpose of this mission is to send a message that civil society is not OK with what's happening in Gaza," said Fellipe Lopes, the Portuguese media coordinator of the Freedom Flotilla Coalition on board the ship Handala during a stopover in Malta."We expect to encounter resistance throughout our mission," said Australian activist Michael Coleman."Ours is not an illegal activity in any shape or form.

Six people were rescued after abandoning their fire-stricken fishing vessel off the U.S. East Coast, Sunday, the U.S. Coast Guard said.At 8:56 p.m., Coast Guard Sector Northern New England command center watchstanders received a mayday call from the 81-foot trawler Three Girls stating that the vessel was ablaze and the captain, NOAA observer and four crew members on board were preparing to abandon ship about 105 nautical miles east of Portsmouth, N.H. The First Coast Guard District command center also received an Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon from the vessel.At 9 p.m.…

The skipper of a U.K. fishing trawler has been been fined and given an eight-month prison sentence after falling asleep during his watch, causing the vessel to collide with another and injuring two crew membersOn January 15, 2022, Maurice Reid of Fraserburgh, Scotland was in charge of the fishing vessel Margaret Anne’s journey when he started to fall asleep. Moments later the vessel collided with anchored fishing vessel Blackbird in the Shoreham area, off the south coast of Sussex…

Greek coastguard officers will testify as suspects as part of a disciplinary investigation into their role in a deadly migrant shipwreck off Greece, three sources told Reuters on Thursday.Hundreds are feared to have died when a vessel, monitored by the Greek coastguard for several hours, capsized and sank in international waters off the southwestern Greek coastal town of Pylos on June 14, 2023.Up to 700 people were in the trawler which left Libya heading for Italy. Some 104 survivors were rescued but only 82 bodies were recovered.

Nergård Havfiske has held a naming ceremony for its newbuild stern trawler, delivered by Norwegian shipbuilder Vard, which will sail under the name Sørkapp.The stern trawler is the third vessel Vard has delivered to Nergård Havfiske. The two previous trawlers are Breidtind and Senja. All three vessels were at the quay during the ceremony.Sørkapp is a stern trawler of VARD 8 02 design, developed by Vard in close collaboration with Nergård Havfiske, with a common objective to create an advanced trawler with all latest available technology on board.The 80.4 meters long vessel…

Nergård Havfiske’s third stern trawler Sørkapp was named in a ceremony in Tromsø, Norway, on June 13.The stern trawler is the third vessel Vard has delivered to Nergård Havfiske. The two previous trawlers are Breidtind and Senja. All three vessels were at the quay during the ceremony.Sørkapp is a Vard 8 02 design and is outfitted for semi-pelagic and bottom-trawling operations, emphasizing gentle handling of the catch to meet the latest requirements for fish health, efficiency and environmentally friendly operation.

Ahmed Alkwrab thought his ordeal was over last June when he survived one of the deadliest shipwrecks ever recorded in the Mediterranean Sea and finally set foot on European soil.Hours after a fishing trawler carrying hundreds of migrants capsized, however, the Egyptian housepainter found himself being interrogated by Greek authorities who then charged him and eight others with smuggling and causing the disaster.If convicted, he would have faced life imprisonment."When they sat me in a room by myself and shut me in, the fear began. What's wrong? What's happened?

Norwegian shipbuilder Vard has secured a new contract for the design and construction of a stern trawler for Havbryn, part of fishing boat company Strand Rederiet.The vessel will be of Vard 8 02 trawler design, outfitted for semi-pelagic and bottom-trawling operations with gentle handling to meet the latest demands for fish health management, efficiency, and environmentally friendly operations.The new vessel will have a length of 80,4 meters and a beam of 16,7 meters. The hull is ice strengthened according to Ice-1A.

A fishing vessel's fire detection and notification system failed to notify crewmembers when the stern trawler caught fire in Tacoma, Wash. last spring.The Kodiak Enterprise was docked at a Trident Seafoods facility in Tacoma when a fire broke out in its the dry stores room on April 8, 2023, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) said in its recent report on the incident.A deckhand from a nearby vessel first saw the fire and reported it to a Trident security guard, who then called a Trident official…

A new stern trawler has been delivered to Deutsche Fischfang-Union GMbB & Co KG (DFFU) from Vard Brattvaag.The vessel, named Berlin, was developed by VARD in close cooperation with DFFU, based on the VARD 8 03 trawler design developed by Vard Design in Ålesund.Baldvin Thorsteinsson and Samuel Rodriguez, Managing Directors at DFFU said, "The delivery of Berlin is pivotal for DFFU, and VARD has done an excellent job. Over the years, VARD has built several technologically advanced vessels, consistently meeting the highest standard with their craftsmanship and innovation.

Six crew members of a Sri Lankan fishing trawler hijacked by suspected Somali pirates have been rescued, Sri Lankan officials said on Monday.The hijacking on Sunday was the latest in a series of attacks that have fueled fears of a resurgence of Somali piracy in the Gulf of Aden and Red Sea waters after years without a successful raid.Pirates who caused chaos in the key waterways from 2008 to 2018 appear to be taking advantage of disorder caused by attacks on shipping by Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthi group.Authorities were informed of the incident by a second boat traveling with the trawler on Su