Latest addition to pelagic fleet arrives

THE FIRST of a new generation of pelagic purse seiner trawlers arrived in Shetland on Friday morning when the Antares (LK 419) steamed into Lerwick harbour.

Built at the Simek shipyard in Flekkefjord, in Norway, it took just one and a half years for the new vessel to be handed over to skipper Lowrie Irvine and his crew.

At 75 metres in length and with a fish tank capacity of more than 2,400 tonnes, the new Antares is larger than the vessel she replaces.

Simon Collins of the Shetland Fishermen’s Association said the arrival of the new vessel coincides with an important moment in time for the islands’ fishing industry.

“It makes feel proud when you see this new vessel and know that a local family can make an investment like this,” he said.

“The outlook for our fleet, pelagic, whitefish and inshore, is potentially very bright if we get Brexit right.”