VESSEL REVIEW | Api XII – Argentine shrimper for Spanish seafood company

Spanish fishing company the Iberconsa Group recently took delivery of a new beam freezer trawler in a series from local shipbuilder Armon.

Api XII is the third trawler in a series that also includes Api VIII and Api X, which were delivered by Armon to Iberconsa earlier this year. As with its two earlier sisters, Api XII will be used to trawl for red shrimp in Argentine waters.

The newbuild has an LOA of 43 metres, a beam of 10 metres, a depth of 6.4 metres, a draught of four metres, accommodations for 30 crewmembers, and a freezer hold with capacity for 412 cubic metres or 190 tonnes. An Anglo Belgian Corporation 6DZC main engine with a rated output of 1,400 kW delivers a speed of 11.5 knots while auxiliary power is supplied by a Scania DI16 500kW engine.

The array of deck equipment includes a Toimil crane and Ibercisa winches. To aid in its shrimp fishing operations, the trawler is also fitted with specialised sensors that can detect Argentine red shrimp in waters teeming with hake and other fish species that prey on the shrimp. Furuno radars meanwhile assist in navigation.

The trawler's shrimp processing line features equipment for catch collection, treatment, packaging, and transport. Also fitted are systems for the proper treatment of waste in compliance with existing regulations. As delivery of Api XII came much later than that of its sisters, the newer trawler incorporates improvements in the overall layout of the onboard factory to make operations more efficient.

Robopac provided the wrapping machinery on the factory deck while Josmar supplied a complete fish processing setup consisting of multiple conveyors, washing and treatment tanks, boxing tables, and a crusher for breaking up any waste into smaller particles for easier disposal. The fish processing equipment layout guarantees improved ergonomics and ease of maintenance, thanks to the equipment having been designed to be easily disassembled and re-assembled to help reduce the crew's workload.

The processing equipment used both stainless steel and food-grade plastics in its construction to ensure compliance with existing health and sanitation regulations. All processing machinery are hydraulically- and electrically-driven, and highly durable components with improved corrosion-resistant properties were incorporated to maximise the useful life of the equipment.

Jose Dominguez, Iberconsa's director of operations, said that changes were also made to the general layout in the accommodation spaces on Api XII. These improvements will help facilitate movement to and from the work spaces, which include both the main deck and the factory deck.

Api XII will operate from Puerto Deseado, one of Argentina's main ports for red shrimp in the south of Santa Cruz province in Patagonia. Its twin sisters have been operating from Puerto Madryn, also in Patagonia.