Big trawlers at bargain prices

Press, 10 March 1982, Page 21

Big trawlers at bargain prices

From

KEN COATES,

in London

Two of Britain’s largest fishing trawlers, sold at bargain prices to Fletcher Fishing, have left Hull for New Zealand. They are due to arrive at Dunedin in mid-April via Panama with delivery crews of about 16 aboard. They could be the forerunner of other British deep-sea fishing vessels being bought by' New Zealand companies because of the run-down state of Britain’s fishing industry. Boyd Lines, the Hull-based former owner of the Arctic Buccaneer and Arctic Galliard bound for New Zealand confirmed interest from New Zealand in four other vessels it wants to sell. Under a contract with Boyd Lines to provide Fletchers with fishing and managerial expertise for the two deep-sea trawlers, a further eight or nine experienced trawlermen per vessel will be flown to New Zealand. This will provide each ship with 24 men, the nucleus of a fishing crew. The remaining nine or 10 men needed on each will be New Zealanders. There is keen competition among New Zealand shipyards for the lucrative installation contract of Ger-man-manufactured heading and gutting machinery, grading, washing and other equipment, according to Mr. Thomas Boyd, managing director of Boyd Lines. The two trawlers will initially sail to Dunedin where Shipyards’ representatives will inspect them. A number of New Zealand companies have already obtained specifications and de-

tails of the conversion project, and will be tendering. Conversion of the vessels to operate in New Zealand waters could cost well in excess of $117,000. Facilities will provide for limited packing aboard, for species like mackerel which do not require subsequent packaging. The main work on board will be heading and gutting of the catch.

The Arctic Buccaneer and Arctic Galliard, both 1660 tonnes, began service in 1975 as “go anywhere, catch anything ships.” They can each freeze 60 tonnes of- fish a day.

While the vessels will operate out of Dunedin, their catches will be offered to other companies for processing for export at various New Zealand ports.

Mr Boyd says the Humberside fishermen are not taking their families to New Zealand and settling, “although some of the youngsters could eventually apply for residency if they like the country.” New Zealand does not have the crew and expertise to run the two trawlers at present, and Boyd Line assistance “should help enormously.” The trawlermen will spend about 120 days fishing and will return to Hull on a rota svstem.

Mr Boyd, who has been to New Zealand to meet fishing companies, says his company has four other trawlers for sale — two freezer vessels of comparable size, and two smaller wet fish boats. He confirmed talks had begun with the companies, including Sanfords, but no other deal was yet in sight. “It is likely to be some time before there is finality with other companies as they will probably sit on the fence and see how this one works out,” he says. The once-great British fishing ports of Hull, Grimsby, Fleetwood, and Aberdeen are all in sad decline because of Continental and East European competition in traditional waters, allowed under E.E.C.. regulations. There was a catch in Mr Boyd’s voice as he described how he had been forced to sell the two modem trawlers to New Zealand “way, way below replacement value, and considerably below even insured value.” He said the vessels could have been sold to a seismic company 18 months ago “at considerably more than Fletchers paid for them.” He declined to name the figure. As to the Humberside fishermen going to New Zealand, it all seems part of a day’s work for them. “If you are at sea, it really doesn’t make all that much difference,” said Mr Boyd. “And we have been flying crews about for a long time now. It' only takes twice as long to get to New Zealand, as it does to get them to the West Coast of Scotland by bus.” i