A new trawler to relaunch La Houle
Moored at the quay of the port of Saint-Guénolé, the Danny Finn opens up new prospects for the La Houle shipyard, 90 employees including 70 sailors, for € 11 million in turnover. Built at the Vestvaerftet shipyard in Hvide Sande, a port located in the west of Denmark, the 25-meter trawler translates for Jacques Pichon, the director of the fishing company, “the will to give a future to the armament”.
Five years after the takeover of La Houle, the shipping line is suffering from an aging fleet. Stopped for a year and a half, the Pluto replaced by the Danny Finn will have fished for 30 years before being scrapped. An investment of 4.35 M € made thanks to the shareholders of the Bigouden armament. Irish fishermen provided 30% of the investment, followed by the banks.
Monkfish and langoustine
“The only French double bridge of 25 meters”, the trawler, which will be baptized this Friday morning, will reach western Ireland next week. A usual fishing area, in fine weather, for the trawlers of the armament. But supported by the State and professional organizations, the project was able to benefit from additional capacity to face the seas of Porcupine bank in winter.
Rather than going to target haddock and cod from the Celtic Sea, the Danny Finn will go fishing for langoustine and monkfish. The stake is economic. The fitting-out director aims for an annual turnover of between 1.60 and 1.80 M € for the vessel with regard to the targeted species and fewer technical stoppages for maintenance, in particular by taking nine trawls on board.
In the west of Ireland, Breton sailors will work under cover once the trawl is in the water. By a system of conveyor, the fish will join the completely covered lower deck where fish and langoustine will be worked before joining respectively positive cold hold and deep freezing hold. The other major development, for the fishing industry, is the level of comfort of the living spaces on board: heated parquet floors, wifi, etc.
The new trawler marks the beginning of the renewal of the armament fleet. This Friday, shareholders could announce the construction of a sistership as early as next year for delivery in two years. The opportunity for Saint-Guénolé to see such a trawler again. Given its 5.40 m draft, the Danny Finn will land at Dingle or Douarnenez from where the catch will be sent to the Guilvinec auction.
