New fishing vessels enter service with Russia's Island Crab

Two new fishing vessels recently delivered to Russian seafood company Island Crab were inaugurated into service in a ceremony in Saint Petersburg on Thursday, July 10.

Mekhanik Stepanov and Mekhanik Tsuranov belong to the Project 03070 series of crab fishing vessels designed by the Petrobalt Design Bureau and built by Norebo subsidiary Neva-Slippel.

Classed by the Russian Maritime Register of Shipping, the Project 03070 vessels are designed primarily for catching Kamchatka, Opilio and blue crab using conical "Japanese-style" traps. The vessels also feature RSW tanks with a total capacity of 461 cubic metres for the transport of live catch.

Each vessel has an LOA of 50.45 metres, a beam of 12.53 metres, and space for 30 crewmembers. A 1,200kW main engine will deliver a service speed of 12 knots.

The new crab fishing vessels will be operated primarily in the Pacific Ocean. Both were built to be capable of navigating in ice-free seas year-round and in waters with finely broken ice within areas outside of the Arctic.