Lorient’s new seiner/trawler

The first of a pair of new trawlers for French company Scapak has completed its delivery trip from the Padmos yard in Stellendam, docking yesterday in Lorient.

Mari-Lou is a 21.90 metre multi-purpose fishing vessel capable of seine netting, and demersal, pelagic and trawling. A sister vessel, Le Dolmen, is due for delivery in April. Mari-Lou’s formall christening ceremony will be held in March during the NavExpo exhibition in Lorient.

The two new fishing vessels for Lorient share many of the design characteristics of the series of multi-purpose vessels built for Scopale in Boulogne-sur-Mer, including the inverted bow that provides excellent seakeeping qualities, but are a few metres longer than the Boulogne series.

Marilou and Le Dolmen are built under the Scapak venture, which brings together Lorient fishing company APAK and Scapêche, one of France’s largest fishing companies and part of the Mousquetaires Group which has interests in agriculture, fishing and retail.

Prior to the order being placed for Mari-Lou and Le Dolmen, Scapak had already acquired a trawler, Naoned, which has been operating successfully since its extensive refit and conversion to seine netting at Padmos in 2017.

The Scapak venture is part of Scapêche’s move into coastal fisheries under its long-term Sustainable Fishing 2025 plan as it adapts its fishing activities over a ten-year period, which includes disengaging fully from deep-water fisheries.