Some facts from the history of Murmansk Trawl Fleet

March 19, 1920 is the official birthday of the Trawl Fleet. On this day 12 vessels which had before belonged to tsarist government and since 1919 had been taken on lease for catching purposes by fishing company "Bezzubikov" (6 trawlers) and CentroSouz trade section (6 trawlers) were given at disposal of Belomorsk Management of fish and feral trading, with base port in Arkhangelsk. 

But the actual establishment of Murmansk Trawl Fleet took place on June 29, 1920, exactly on this day Soviet trawler RT-30 (Fish Trawler-30) left Arkhangelsk port for the first trade trip. Small trawlers with carrying capacity only 100 tons had steam-engines with power 300 h.p., crew consisted of 20-22 members. The trade trip lasted 10-12 days, as for the lack of coal. Otter trawl was lifted mainly by hand. These 12 trawlers produced 17 thousand centners of fish in 1920. 

By the end of 1925 Murmansk Trawl Fleet, consisting of 17 fishing trawlers constructed 15-20 years ago had produced more than 120 thousand centners of fish. The fishing was carried out only in summer period and then the trawlers were located in Arkhangelsk or at Murman Coast. In 1926 the fleet was transferred from Arkhangelsk to Murmansk in order to fish in The Barents sea all the year round. 

Since 1928 Trawl Fleet began to export its fish production. Annually 15-20 thousand centners of clipfisk were shipped to Italy, Greece, England and Egypt. 19 thousand centners of fish meal were exported annually to German and Holland while the countries of the East bought fish oil readily.

In 1935 Trawl Fleet owned 68 vessels, 37 among them were of German construction (1927-1931), 21 vessels had been built in The Northern Shipyard of Leningrad (since 1932), 2 trawlers were of prewar years, 8 vessels had come from The Far East. The trawlers became not only fishing but also fish-processing ones. They were equipped with fish meal plants and facilities for canned fish making.

From the moment of Trawl Fleet foundation within the period 1920-1934 the number of vessels grew from 12 ones in 1920 to 68 in 1934, the catches increased from 17 thousand centners of fish in 1920 to 901 thousand centners in 1934. The main objects of fishing were cod species and herring. 

Coastal facilities developed simultaneously: shipyard, fish-processing plant, repair workshop, berthage. In April 1937 the Radio Center of Murmansk Trawl Fleet started working. During the Great Patriotic war the vessels left in trawl fleet continued fishing in the Barents sea and took part in the battles. 

Within the period 1946-1950 the fleet was being replenished mainly with large vessels capable for sailing to the Northern Atlantic. The vessels were equipped with gyrocompasses, echometers,  radio direction finders and other devices. Year by year Murmansk trawl fleet was approaching to the level of 1937, when the maximum annual catch of fish was achieved - 2162 thousand centners and in 1951 this border was got over, the catch became 2194,4 thousand centners.

The main areas of fishing were: Murmansk shoaling water, Gusinaya banka (bank), Demidovskaya banka, Island Medvezhiy areas, Ribachiya banka, Murmanskaya banka, Norwegian zhelob, Kildinskaya banka. The main objects of fishing were: cod, haddock, herring, redfish, catfish, capelin, flounder.

Within the period 1950-1952 Trawl Fleet was replenished with 5 large fishing trawlers of the "Kreml" type (Belgian construction) with enging power 1080 h.p. and 90 days autonomy and with steam-engine trawlers (Poland construction) with main engine power 800-1290 h.p..  In 1995 Murmansk Trawl Fleet obtained its first large freezer trawler of the "Pushkin" type (German construction). This ocean vessel with 3700 tons water displacement and main engine power 1900 h.p. had a speed of 13 hitches and was equipped with refrigerators, filleting machines and modern radio-navigation aids. 

In 1959 Murmansk Trawl Fleet owned 23 large freezer trawlers, 5 large fishing trawlers, 11 diesel engine fish-trawlers of the "Pioneer" type, 17 fish-trawlers of the "Murom" type, 179 fish-trawlers working on coals. So the fleet had 235 fishing vessels at its disposal. Besides there were 5 vessels of advanced investigation, 3 training trawlers, 2 mother ships and 8 lightboats. 13264 men worked for the Trawl Fleet. Since 1961 new refrigerator vessels intended for taking catches from the trawlers at sea and subsequent fish processing were being received from Denmark.

In spite of a difficult trading situation in 1962 Murmansk Trawl Fleet reached the best results for the whole its history (42 years) by catching 5665 thousand centners of fish. On January 1st, 1964 Trawl Fleet owned 270 vessels, among them there were 240 fishing trawlers. Fish-processing refrigerator vessels of the "Grumant" type built in Denmark were being received by the fleet. 

 On May 3, 1965 the professional holiday "Fisherman's Day" was established by the Decree of Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR. This holiday has being celebrated every year on the second Sunday of July. 

In 1967 the catch of fish was 6855 thousand centners.

In 1969 Murmansk Trawl Fleet was being replenished with large freezer trawlers of the "Altai" type built in Nikolaev city. The fleet received 6 vessels within the year. 

By 1970 the fishermen of Trawl Fleet had developed the following fishing areas: Central East, North-West, South-East and South Atlantic, continental platforms of Venezuela, Brazil, Uruguay, Gamilton bank, Georges near North America, Labrador, South West of Africa and Arctic waters. The objects of catching: cod, haddock, silver hake, capelin, redfish, halibut, flounder, herring, polar cod, argentine, jack mackerel, mackerel, sardine, sardinella, grenadier, blue whiting, ice fish, whiting, notothenia, catfish, quids, shrimps.

The fleet consisted of 18 fish trawlers, 50 large freeze trawlers, 7 large freeze trawlers of the "Altai" type, the fish trawler "Sever", 2 fish trawlers and more than 100 fishing board trawlers.

On January 8, 1975 Murmansk Trawl Fleet was awarded with the Order of the October Revolution for its enormous contribution into the development of the industrial fishery, the achievement of high efficiency of the fleet and production of fish products.  In the same year the fleet was being replenished with the super-trawlers of the "Horizont" type constructed in Nikolaev city. On January 1^st, 1976 17709 men worked in the Trawl Fleet. In 1977 as a result of putting into practice licensed fishing within 200 mile economic zone of foreign states, limited quotas and the reducing of bottom fish reserves the catches considerably decreased. But the fishermen of the Trawl Fleet overfulfiled the plans and caught 666538 ton of fish in 1978. Before 1984 the fleet had been replenished with fish trawlers and salt and wet fish trawlers of the "Barents sea" type. In 1986 the fleet received 15 medium freezer trawlers of "Obolon" type and during the period 1988-1993 it was being replenished with 12 super trawlers of "Moonzund" type constructed in Germany, Shtralzund city.  The vessels were being equipped with modern fish gear, fish searching devices and manufacturing facilities. By November 30, 1988 the number of men working for Murmansk Trawl Fleet became 13709.

 In 1990 a catch of the north basin fished out by the state enterprises made up 1316138 tons of fish, 6004100 tons among them were the catch of Murmansk Trawl Fleet that formed more than 45% from the total catch. 

During its 80 years existing Murmansk Trawl Fleet not only survived but also kept on being replenished with the vessels of new generation. In 1997 six vessels equiped according to the latest thing were built in Germany by the fleet order. Simultaneously modernization of obsolete vessels was taking place, modern high-capacity equipment was being installed. Murmansk Trawl Fleet kept its presence practically in the all parts of the World Ocean. High quality is a distinguishing acter of the production produced by Murmansk Trawl Fleet and it was not accidentally that the fleet was awarded with the highest award of west business "Gold Mercury" for the second time.

In the end of 1999 Murmansk Trawl Fleet implemented a program to recondition the super-trawlers of "Moonzund" type project "Atlantic-488" in order to increase vessels production facilities and extend the economic efficiency of their work.  

In the course of modernization of the first vessel of "Moonzund" type, MA-1823 "Vasiliy Lozovskiy" , the following work was fulfilled:§         New radio and fish searching equipment was installed§         Fishroom was expanded§         Fish pump complex was installed allowing to withdraw the catch without hoisting the trawl to the deck of the vessel, this considerably enhanced the production quality§         Due to installation of 10 vertical freezing apparatus and changing refrigerated equipment freezing capacity of fish factory was increased§         Refrigerated hold was expanded owing to alteration of no refrigerated hold The recondition work fulfilled on the board of the vessel "Vasiliy Lozovskiy" increased the technical acteristics of freezing capacity of the vessel from 63 ton/day to 145 ton/day. The next vessel of "Moonzund" type MA-1831 "Kapitan Bogomolov" was reconditioned in 2001, besides new radio and fish searching equipment, fish pump complex installation, hold rebuilding, the following work was fulfilled:

• Replacement of 2 auxiliary diesel generators
• Modernization of fish factory with sorting machine, 2 fish dressing complexes, automatic packing complex installation
• Installation of 23 vertical freezing apparatus with total refrigerating capacity up to 200 ton/day.

 In 2002-2003 modernization of the vessels MA-1807 "Admiral Shabalin" and MA-1808 "Alexander Mironenko" was carried out, the refrigerating capacity was increased up to 200 ton/day. Moreover the automatic refrigerating system of fish holds (RSW) was for the first time installed on the board of the vessel MA-1808 and also vessel power installation was replaced with 2 main engines and 2 auxiliary diesel generators. 

From the end of 2004 till nowadays the program on modernization of the vessels of "Moonzund" type has being implemented on the vessel M-0008 "Leonid Galchenko". 

Besides the program on the recondition of the vessels of "Moonzund" type the work connected with improvement of performance figures of the vessels work is being carried out on the vessels of Murmansk Trawl Fleet. The super-trawlers of the "Horizont" type are reconstructed from fishing into transport ones. The main engines are being renewed, fish factors are being reconditioned on the Medium freezer trawlers of "Atlantic-333" type. New radio and fish searching equipment is being installed.  

Besides manufacture of fish production on the board of the vessels the specialists of Murmansk Trawl Fleet have developed coastal manufacture of various fish production such as canned fish, salt and dried fish production in different containers and packages. Murmansk Trawl Fleet is a traditional participant of both Russian and International fish production exhibitions and its production is constantly marked with different awards and diplomas for the high quality. 

Professionalism of fleet specialists is confirmed by the ratings of the Association of managers of the Russian Federation and by State awards. 

March 19, 2005 - 85 years history of Murmansk Trawl Fleet has been going on......