07-08-2012 | Successful experiments with new fish pump
In connection with the increased level of mackerel fishing in the Faroe Islands this year, some fishing vessels have trialled a new type of fish pump, which allows them to pump fish more quickly from the trawl into the shipload. The purpose of this innovation is to increase the quality of the fish, and based on the results of the first period of trials, it appears that this is working very well.
The Faroese shipping company, Varðin, has assigned some of its fishing vessels to trial a new type of fish pump. This pump enables purse seiners, a class of fishing vessel, to pump live mackerel directly from the trawl into the shipload while at sea. The first attempts with the new pump have gone so well that the company has already decided to purchase another one.
In addition to attracting attention in the Faroe Islands, the pump has also attracted interest from Norway – a large and important fishing nation. Torstein Solem, Leader of the Pelagic Association in Norway, has told the Norwegian magazine, Fiskaren, that the Faroese pump is a welcome innovation. According to him, Norwegians may well try to use the pump, but he also points out that pair trawling is not as common in Norway as in the Faroe Islands.
This is relevant because the new pump requires three ships to work. Two ships are needed to carry the trawl, while the third ship pumps the fish onboard as soon as it gets into the trawl. The live fish goes straight into the cargo tanks, where they are cooled. Because the fish is transferred so quickly, its quality is higher and it can be sold for a higher price than fish that has been in the trawl for some hours before it reaches the tanks.
As soon as the pump was trialled for the first time, the Faroese company producing the new equipment, KJ Hydraulikk, received several enquiries from other countries.
(Source: kringvarp.fo)
Subscribe to Newsletter
