VESSEL REVIEW | Argos Berbes – Squid freezer trawler built for Falklands Islands waters

Spain’s Nodosa Shipyard recently handed over a new stern freezer trawler to Orion Fishing Company, a joint venture business formed by Falkland Islands-based the Argos Group and Spanish fishing company Armadora Pereira. Argos Berbes was also designed by Nodosa with the cooperation of Armadora Pereira and will be used primarily for catching Patagonian squid in the South Atlantic.

The Bureau Veritas-classed trawler is a near-identical sister of Prion, which Nodosa delivered to Falkland Islands-based Petrel Fishing Company earlier this year.

Proven design for extreme South Atlantic conditions

Like Prion, Argos Berbes has a length of 85 metres (280 feet), a beam of 14 metres (46 feet), a draught of 5.6 metres (18 feet), and a gross tonnage of 2,500. The vessel's hull is of an optimised design and has a prominent inverted bow to ensure optimal seakeeping even under adverse weather situations, thus improving the safety of the crew and reducing fuel consumption.

The design work on the vessel adhered to the owner’s requirements for improved safety and comfort as well as reduced environmental impact. The vessel therefore boasts key features such as freezing equipment that uses ammonia as a refrigerant (to minimise the risk of fluorinated gases from reaching the ozone layer) and various equipment to mitigate the incidental mortality of birds and other marine species.

Low-emission machinery

Guascor Energy provided the vessel with an SF240TA diesel engine, which has a rated output of 4,640 kW (6,220 hp) at 750 rpm.

The deck machinery includes electrically-driven components to help reduce emissions. Naust Marine supplied the vessel with a complete deck equipment package consisting of two trawl winches, a net drum, four sweepline winches, two Gilson winches, two cod end winches, two capstans, two retrievers, an outhaul winch, two windlasses, and four auxiliary winches.

Naust Marine also provided an automatic trawl winch control system, electrical cabinets, a cooling system, electrical spooling gear, and a regenerative system to redirect excess energy back into the propulsion machinery. Josmar meanwhile supplied the squid processing plant.

The accommodation spaces include a mess with galley, cabins and offices and the wheelhouse electronics include two radars. Deck space is also available for a fast rescue boat.

Argos Berbes will sail under the UK flag and will begin fishing in South Atlantic waters in early 2025.