Qikiqtaaluk Corp. signs deal to acquire new fishing vessel
Saputi II will be able to handle more shrimp and turbot than company’s current trawler
A design of the Saputi II, by Norwegian firm Skipsteknisk, is shown above. The Saputi II will be constructed in Spain and should be ready in two and a half years or earlier, Qikiqtaaluk Corp. director of fisheries Jerry Ward said. (Photo courtesy of Qikiqtaaluk Corp.)
Qikiqtaaluk Corp. has reached a deal to purchase a new fishing trawler, to be called Saputi II, from a Spanish firm.
“It’s a big project,” Jerry Ward, the company’s director of fisheries, told Nunatsiaq News of the agreement signed Sept. 26 with shipbuilder Freier Shipyard in Vigo, Spain.
Ward said it could take about two and a half years to build the ship but the Qikiqtaaluk Corp., the business development arm of the Qikiqtani Inuit Association, hopes it will be ready sooner than that.
The Saputi II will be a factory-freezer fishing trawler, able to keep fish frozen after they’ve been caught until the ship returns to its port in Newfoundland. It will measure nearly 80 metres long and 17 metres wide.
Designed for multiple species, the vessel will be able harvest shrimp and turbot.
Qikiqtaaluk Corp. already operates one fishing trawler, the Saputi.
The Saputi II will be an upgrade because it can handle 750 tonnes of shrimp and 1,100 tonnes of turbot, according to a company news release. By comparison, the Saputi can handle 580 tonnes of shrimp and 900 tonnes of turbot.
Ward said whether the company continues to operate both vessels or decides to sell the Saputi once the Saputi II is finished depends on fishing quotas, which are set by the federal government.
Currently, he said, “we have enough quotas to keep the [Saputi II] busy.”
Ward would not give the exact cost of the Saputi II, but said it was around $100 million.
He said the new vessel should increase Inuit employment and earnings, which will benefit the community.
The Saputi II will employ 28 to 30 people, with the company planning to hire more Inuit.
“We will fish more, we will fish faster and the crew will make more money on a per tonne basis,” Ward said.
With the Saputi II requiring more staff with technical skills, he said the company’s goal is to increase technical training that’s available for Inuit.
“At the end of the day we want to maximize Inuit employment,” Ward said.
With better accommodations for crew on board the Saputi II, the new vessel will also be able to stay out to fish for longer periods.
In its release, Qikiqtalluk Corp. said the new vessel will have a more efficient engine that’s more environment-friendly. The ship’s design is being carried out by Norwegian firm Skipsteknisk AS.
Good news for future fisher people. There’s even training to prepare.
Fact.. how many inuit work for fisheries?
How many inuit are on salary compared to non inuit. How many inuit executives living in the north compared to non inuit living in the south. Are inuit getting northern allowance or are they getting the same pay as non inuit living in the south. How many inuit own their own homes compared to non inuit fisher in the south. Please do a comparative study on who benefits the most. Northerns or southerner. Where do the profits go with this lucrative multimillion dollar organization
I recall this was signed just before (BF) had announced there announcement close to two years ago and bad slow move they done and end up close to $100 million,
( BF ) is getting a ship that was signed for $72 million and if QC board was smart to join discussions to have one company biuld two sister ships would have save $ millions at least 7% ,
Someone is leading some businesses well and some not we think ..
Eyes & ears