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Longliner Tronio. (Photo Credit: Fortuna)
New ice-class longliner to fish for Patagonian toothfish
(FALKLAND ISLANDS, 2/10/2014)
Fortuna Ltd has announced the purchase and incorporation to their Falklands registered fishing fleet of the 55‐meter ice class longliner Tronio.
The vessel is specifically designed for ice fishing in Antarctica and its annual cycle begins in exploratory fisheries targeting Antarctic toothfish and conducting research on behalf of the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR) within the Antarctic ice-belt.
In April the vessel will join the MSC South Georgia toothfish fishery targeting Patagonian toothfish and and will later catch swordfish in more northerly waters.
The 1.058-tonne longliner has a substantial holding capacity and a state of the art frozen at sea factory, allowing it to process in excess of 300.000 kilos of premium quality product.
The fact that the Tronio carries half a million liters of fuel gives it a wide range of operation and impressive autonomy, which are dominant factors for successful fishing expeditions in some of the world's most remote fishing grounds where the closest port can be three weeks sailing away.
Fortuna highlights that this investment is a significant development for the company and represents an expansion abroad that builds on its strong position in domestic fisheries in the Falkland Islands, which include a significant shareholding in Falklands Toothfish Consolidated Fisheries Ltd., and the reputation of fishery stewardship in the Falklands.
As a certified MSC vessel, a traceability system is in operation monitoring daily production that customers can access to verify that all Tronio product comes from fisheries that have been certified to the Marine Stewardship Council's (MSC) environmental standard for well managed and sustainable fisheries.
The company recalls that, in addition to being one of the first toothfish fisheries to be MSC certified, the South Georgia toothfish fishery is rated by the World Wildlife Foundation (WWF) and the Monterey Bay Aquarium as the best sustainable source of toothfish in the world.
The modern longliner is currently conducting research in Eastern Antarctica aimed at improving the understanding of population dynamics of both species of toothfish that inhabit the area.
The Tronio is scheduled to arrive in Stanley to land its catches at the end of this month.
(FALKLAND ISLANDS, 2/10/2014)
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