While our local trawlers supply mainly sardine and anchovy, various other types of trawlers travel alongside them. These are the long line trawlers, kief trawlers and bottom trawlers.
Amongst these are Amoria and I do, both long line trawlers and Boetie Bert, a bottom trawler, all belonging to Bertie Ramsauer of Dyer Island Fisheries. These vessels all dock in Cape Town and will soon be joined by the Umfundini which is presently being prepared to catch crayfish.
Long line trawlers
A long line trawler is a factory trawler. A trawling line of 6-20m in length depending on the capacity of the vessel is shot out from the vessel.
Along this line at 1m intervals a hook is attached with bait (normally sardine or pike) and it is weighted to keep it well below the water surface.
The ropes are drawn in mechanically when a catch is established. As it is hauled in, the fish fall down a shute and is moved to the heading machine where they are headed and gutted and packed in plastic bags.
The production line then moves the fish through a blow freezer which freezes the fish immediately before storing it in a freezer.
The catch is offloaded into trucks at the Gansbaai New Harbour and transported to Cape Town.
Other long line trawlers size the fish and keep it on ice in the fish holes.
As the fish go in to the holes more ice flakes are packed on top to seal it.
This catch is also offloaded into trucks at the New Harbour and sent to cold stores in Cape Town usually on consignment for upcountry markets.
Kief trawlers
Kief trawlers are also long line vessels but they fish at mid sea and not as deep as the bottom trawlers. Trackers (under water cameras) determine whether the catch is good and the lines are then pulled up.
Bottom trawlers
“Bottom trawlers also have a complete factory on board,” explains Faan Buys, Head Mechanical Engineer in charge of the mechanical maintenance of Dyer Island Fisheries’ fleet of boats.
A bottom trawler such as the Boetie Bert for instance, catches inshore or deep sea as permit conditions determine.
These nets drag on the ocean bottom. The mesh has smaller holes than those of the kief trawler, catching either hake or kingklip. Once brought on board the fish is sorted by hand, gutted, headed and sorted in size before being packed in boxes and frozen.
Some vessels stay at sea for up to a month at a time depending on their quota and the availability of fish in the area and these are offloaded either in Mossel Bay, Hout Bay or Cape Town harbours.
From diesel technician to Head Mechanical Engineer
“I was a qualified diesel technician running my own business in Bothaville for many years. Then circumstances brought me to Cape Town and in contact with Dyer Island Fisheries and I have been with them for 12 years now” says Faan.
And what exactly does his work entail?
“I get a job list from the shore skipper in this instance Wilhelm Boer, telling me what needs attention on which vessel. I then do my daily planning accordingly and allocate the different jobs to the different work teams and see to the satisfactory execution of those jobs in hand.”
Next week we will tell you what’s cooking at the Gansbaai Marine factory.
Don’t miss the Gansbaai Courant issue next Thursday, 24 August 2017.
