The new trawler, which is still waiting for its substitute license, has to keep the same fishing capacity of the previous vessel.
‘That’s our biggest challenge. There’s an equation that includes several parameters, including engine power and storage capacity, and we have to meet all of these requirements,’ TPA’s director Enrique Godoy said.
The new trawler will be 34.70 meters in length with a 9.30 metre maximum breadth and a 225.5m3 fishroom capacity.
‘It’s a trawler with freezing capacity,’ he said, adding that as the vessel it replaces is fifty years old, this is a significant step forward in terms of technology.
‘That’s especially the electronics, energy systems, and the engine. Everything will be much more efficient, it’s a totally new world in comparison,’ he said, commenting that modern systems for water purification and oil-water separation offer a great deal more efficiency, as modern systems are so much more effective.
‘The new systems on board this vessel will have much lower emissions,’ Enrique Godoy said.
TPA’s prototype design is expected to start to become reality within the next few months. It’s another indication that Argentina’s marine industry is alive and well, mostly because of the strength of the red shrimp sector – something that hasn’t been mirrored in neighbouring countries as construction of new fishing vessels has become practically non-existent
Older vessels are kept going and several countries allow imports of second-hand tonnage from other countries, so that most shipyards in Brazil, Ecuador and Peru that serve the fishing industry have been working exclusively with maintenance and repair.
Although Argentina has to import marine grade steel from Brazil, Europe, or China, and most mechanical or electrical systems are also imported, Argentinian shipyards have been able to produce vessels with competitive prices and high quality, especially when it comes to small fishing vessels adapted to the local conditions, Enrique Godoy said.
That’s why most companies in the country have been expressing their confidence in the Argentinian shipyards to renovate their fleet.
‘At this moment, we have quite a few Argentinian shipyards building vessels for the fishing industry in the country. Argentine red shrimp remains in strong demand on international markets and the prices have allowed the companies to invest in new capacity,’ he said, commenting that the Argentinian government is currently studying programmes to incentivise domestic shipbuilding and that the industry as a whole is confident that positive changes will come soon.
‘We hope that there will be state support soon, and that we will be able to and will be able to supply our vessels to other countries in Latin America and Africa,’ Enrique Godoy said.