ECOFIVE FISHES WITH FOUR SHRIMP TRAWLS FROM VÓNIN

Many eyes in the fishing industry are on the Norwegian newbuilding Ecofive, which is a symbol of innovation in the fishing industry and has already won awards. This summer, the trawler will head out for shrimp fishing with equipment from Vónin.

The significance of the ship’s name is clear: Ecofive, a shortening of Eco-Friendly Fishing Vessel. The 72-meter-long ship is considered by many to be a symbol of innovation, both in terms of fish handling and environmental consideration. Last year, Ecofive won the Norwegian Innovation Prize, with the justification being the groundbreaking technology used.

– “Ecofive is a vision that is now becoming a reality. A vision of fishing more sustainably by reducing energy consumption, preserving fish quality, and utilizing 100 percent of the fish,” said shipowner Tore Roaldsnes when he accepted the Innovation Prize on behalf of the shipping company Bluewild in August last year.

The fish never comes onto the trawl deck; it is led alive from the sea into water tanks below the surface, from where it is then taken into the factory and processed in a continuous flow. The goal is to improve the quality of each individual fish, which therefore does not need to be crushed in heavy trawl bags on deck. Moreover, the ship is designed to be as energy-efficient as possible, with hybrid technology, battery systems, a special hull design, and two propellers.

VÓNIN IS INVOLVED

Vónin has been collaborating with Tore Roaldsnes since 2016 when he bought shrimp trawls for Langenes and Stornes. Vónin has also supplied equipment to Ishavet for the shipping company. In February 2022, Vónin was invited to a presentation about Ecofive.

– Already then, Storm doors from Vónin were included in the model images, and since then we have discussed equipment for the new ship,” says Óli Horn, sales manager for bottom and shrimp trawls at Vónin.

Ecofive is to fish for bottom fish and shrimp, and in shrimp fishing, it will fish with four trawls at once. Vónin has not tried this before.

– “It is a special task for us. The ship will fish with two sets of trawl doors, large outer ones and smaller inner ones, and then a roller weight between the innermost trawls,” says Óli Horn.

The four trawls are 3200 mesh large Vónin Novaja, each trawl spreading about 70 meters, and the span between the outermost doors will be about 320 meters. This is about 100 meters more than when fishing with three trawls, so the fishing area is very large. Part of the trawls is Fortis, which is a sleek and light dyneema net, and around the grids, it is a very strong, knotless net. Additionally, the trawls must be designed so that the bag can be released before it comes onto the deck.

– “This is done by mounting a piece between the grid and the bag. A kind of forks that can be attached to the ship. And then a line must be tied to the end of the bag so it can be lifted slowly when the fish is to be led into the tanks below the water surface,” says Óli Horn.

A QUALITY SEAL

Ecofive has received a lot of attention, both in Norway and around the world, and many eyes are watching as the newbuilding goes fishing this summer.

– “They have confidence in us, and therefore Vónin supplies all the equipment for shrimp fishing on this new and expensive ship. And it has already started to benefit other ships that are on the way,” says Óli Horn.

The agreement with Bluewild is that the equipment from Vónin will be delivered in Ålesund, and people from Vónin will also help the crew on Ecofive to rig this future ship for fishing.

Vónin Novaja

A shrimp trawl with a large horizontal and vertical opening, which performs well on soft grounds.

Vónin Storm

A strong bottom trawl door with outstanding stability and excellent spread. The trawl door stands up quickly should it fall over.