First purpose-built Irish automatic longliner launched

Norwegian technology and Irish enterprise have combined for one of the most significant developments in the west coast fishing industry, the first purpose-built automatic longliner on the Irish register, geared to target unexploited species, including Greenland halibut, blue ling and siki shark.

The 24-metre vessel, An Capall Ban, was built in France at a cost of over £1.5 million for Mr Paddy O'Malley (44), originally from Cleggan in Connemara.

It was "launched" by the Minister for the Marine and Natural Resources, Mr Fahey, in Galway docks at the weekend. Some £435,202 was approved in BIM/EU grant-aid under the Government's whitefish fleet renewal scheme.

Two Norwegians, Mr NilsRoar Hareide, a scientist, and skipper Mr Asbjorn Silden, have agreed to work with Mr O'Malley and his crew on trials over the next couple of months, with support from Bord Iascaigh Mhara and the Marine Institute.

Mr O'Malley met the Norwegians during a fact-finding trip north with Dr Peter Tyndall of BIM's Galway office. Some 15 crew have been enlisted for a rolling rota of 10 on board during each trip. "Ecologically sound, environmentally friendly" is how Mr O'Malley describes the vessel, which has already been out on trials off Galway Bay over the past week. With almost 30 years fishing behind him, he has worked on board similar autoliners in Norway and has seen how effective the system can be.

Ireland is not new to longlining, and the passive method was once strong among the fleet in Arklow, Co Wicklow. Several Irish skippers have spent time in Iceland to gain experience of the method, which cuts out discards.

However, the Irish domestic market has not always appreciated that longline-caught fish is superior in quality to trawled fish, and therefore deserves a higher price on the quay.

The autoliner mechanism produced by Mustad in Norway and fitted on An Capall Ban baits hooks automatically while the line is being paid out. Normally, there is a six-foot gap between each hook, which makes the standard lining system over 26 miles in length. The vessel is equipped with 30,000 hooks, and Mr O'Malley hopes to work all 30,000 per day when the crew becomes efficient.

The vessel will fish the Continental Shelf to the west, up to 200 miles offshore, in depths of around 800 fathoms. Constructed at Chantiers Piriou in Concarneau, France, it is fitted with an ice plant, blast freezer, chill room and bait-freezer. Only fish caught during the first five days of an average 10-day trip will be frozen, with fish caught later being landed fresh.