More on features of Fishing vessels

Today, fishing vessels amount about one third of all world merchant fleet. They ensure certain types of catching with special devices as well as preliminary haul processing, storage and delivery to the shore. At the same time, it is important to use marine biological resources economically and rationally.

Today in sea and ocean fishing haul target are divided in the following proportion:

fish – 89%,
mollusks – 5%,
crustaceans – 2.3%,
marine animals – 1.8%,
aquatic vegetation – 1%.

In Russia, fishery is controlled and regulated in accordance with the Federal Law On Fishing and the Conservation of Aquatic Biological Resources.

Basic Types of Fishing Vessels

The modern fish fleet consists of specialized vessels ensuring continuous catching and processing. The vessels of the fish fleet are classified by haul targets and by description as follows:

trawlers,
whaling vessels,
sealing vessels,
crab boats,
floating fish canneries.

Besides, many fishing fleets use transport and refrigerator vessels for delivery of the haul.

Features of Design and Construction of Fishing Vessels Hulls

Fishing vessel hulls differ in the following:

because of frequent marine moorings, transverse bulkhead are reinforced with additional horizontal reinforcing ribs and filling frames and beams;
in order to decrease water resistance and impulsive force at slamming, fore frame lower reaches are designed peaked and in some cases round bulb fore end is used.

Prospects for Modernization and Organization of the New Fishing Fleet in Russia

In the context of reduction of catch quotas for sea biological resources, decline in purchasing power and, consequently, drop in demand on various seafoods as well as unsatisfactory technical state of the most fishing vessels, it is possible to conclude that fishing companies cannot afford fleet modernization due to receiving less profits. Failing any governmental fishery strategic profile, the development of the industry is the responsibility of the management of the fishery companies.

Modernization of the fleet via purchase of a new vessel and writing-off of an old one is irrelevant now, since it is the most expensive solution.

In this situation, the solution is modernization and renewal of available vessels, which ensures the usage of more advanced fishing gears and new fishing patterns as well as raise of the power supply capacity level, towing performance enhancement and specific fuel consumption reduction. This way is an adequate alternative to purchase or construction of a new vessel.

Nowadays, in order to reverse the situation of scarcity of off-shore fishing vessels, obsolescence and deterioration of the available fishing fleet, with the assistance of the Federal Agency for Fishery of the Russian Federation the government took an important step in supporting fishermen. Namely, it subsidized 2/3 of rate for loans for fishing vessel construction and modernization.