Fishing With the Friedrich Busse

Transcription

1 MISCELLANEOUS SPECIAL PUBLICATION 40 DFO III I II B1 ïïii eque Fishing With the Friedrich Busse C Fisheries and Environment Canada Fisheries and Marine Service Pêches et Environnement Canada Service des pêches et de la mer Kingsley Brown Sr.

2 Published by Publié par ll + Fisheries and Environment Canada Fisheries and Marine Service Pêches et Environnement Canada Service des pêches et de la mer Scientific Information and Publications Branch Direction de l'information et des publications scientifiques Ottawa Ki A 0E6

3 Fishing With the Friedrich Busse

4 Notice Quotations, opinions expressed, and conclusions reached are not necessarily endorsed by the sponsors of the project. This publication is available free from: National Sea Products Limited Halifax, N.S. Technology Branch Fisheries Management Maritimes, Halifax, N.S. Department of Fisheries and the Environment Scientific Information and Publications Branch, Fisheries and Marine Service, Department of Fisheries and the Environment Ottawa K1A 0E6 àlvtinister of Supply and Services Canada 1978 Catalog No. Fs 41-31/40 ISBN ISSN Ottawa Printed in Canada by RBT PRINTING LTD. Montreal Contract No.: KF

5 MISCELLANEOUS SPECIAL PUBLICATION 40 (La version française est en préparation) Fishing With the Friedrich Busse Prepared by KINGSLEY BROWN SR.1 St. Francis Xavier University Antigonish, N.S. Coordinated by PETER G. BANGAY,National Sea Products Limited, Halifax, N.S. FRANK KING, Techno/ogy Branch,Department of Fisheries and the Environment, Halifax, N.S. DEPARTMENT OF FISHERIES AND THE ENVIRONMENT FISHERIES AND MARINE SERVICE Ottawa 1978 'Under contract to National Sea Products Ltd. and Fisheries Management Maritimes, Department of Fisheries and the Environment.

6 ,...,. Baffin Island r\ Cape Dyer 1 \ 1 \ 1 \ \ Y% I \ 1 \ Frobisher Bay \ \ \ -C15 -- i r ---,Resolution I. \ S t.... 1,.,..., \ pape Chidley \ *,_ \ ereenland Willie Labrador Bank St. Pierre I St. John's - - ",'Sable I. Lunen.b;Ufd>r:"7" :Scotian Shelf Cape Cod Voyages of the Friedrich Busse.

7 Foreword Foreign freezer-factory-trawlers have been operating off Canada's Atlantic coast for a number of years. With the scarcity of fish species traditionally taken by Canadian fishermen and the extension of fisheries jurisdiction to 200 miles, the obvious question is whether freezerfactory-trawlers could be used to advantage by Canadians. Such vessels could certainly facilitate the harvesting of species like squid and silver hake that spoil rapidly even in ice, and in fishing more remote arctic waters. However, economic questions arise, not to mention human factors such as extended absence from port and the impact upon Canadian fish-processing plants and communities. In an attempt to answer some of these questions, a collaboration experiment was undertaken between the Department of Fisheries and the Environment and National Sea Products Limited wherein a freezer-factory-trawler was chartered to evaluate its potential. In addition to the author of this report, several other individuals participated in the project including fishermen, fish processors, union representatives, government observers, as well as representatives of other companies wishing to observe the technology i nvolved. The experiment provided invaluable information on the overall operations and economics of freezer-factory-trawlers and in addition showed a net profit. The results, together with the human factors involved, are summarized in this report, and indicate there may be a place for some type of freezer-factory-trawler in the Atlantic fishing fleet when Canada is ready to fully utilize the resources of her 200-mile fishing zone. E. GRAHAM BLIGH, Director Technology Branch, Halifax, N.S. V

8 Contents FOREWORD v ABSTRACT/RÉSUMÉ INTRODUCTION 1 Viii FISHING WITFI THE Friedrich Busse 2 Scotian Shelf 3 Arrival in Lunenburg 5 Life away from home 5 Incentive pay 7 Northern voyage 7 Problem of crew 10 Factory facility 10 Sea-fresh frozen grade 12 Distant waters 12 Lessons learned 12 THE Friedrich Busse 15 APPENDIX 17 Tables 17 Technologists/observers on Friedrich Busse 18 Wheelhouse of Friedrich Busse 19 vi i

9 Abstract BROWN, K. SR Fishing with the Friedrich Busse. Fish. Mar. Serv. Misc. Spec. Publ. 40: 20 p. Early in 1977 the Department of Fisheries and the Environment entered into an agreement with National Sea Products Limited, the leading deep-sea fishing corporation on the Atlantic Coast, to investigate the potential of a large freezer-factory-trawler as a possible component of Canada's future offshore fishing fleet. Under this agreement National Sea Products Limited chartered one of the most modern vessels of this type, the Friedrich Busse, from Nordstern AG, Bremerhaven, West Germany. With departmental observers, Canadian skippers and crew members on board, the Friedrich Busse over a 5-month period (May to October) fished on the Scotian Shelf, in the Labrador Sea, and as far north as the Arctic Circle in the Davis Strait. The venture was a financial success and a substantial profit was divided between National Sea Products Limited and the Federal Government. Major proportion of the catch was squid, taken on the Scotian Shelf. Shrimp and redfish were taken along with other species in the Labrador Sea. Leaders in the industry learned much about the technology involved in deploying vessels of this type. There would be obvious problems in training Canadian crews for this kind of operation, but it was concluded that the efficient exploitation of nontraditional, as well as traditional, species in distant waters would not be feasible without the addition of freezer-factory-trawlers to the Canadian deep-sea fleet. Résumé BROWN, K. SR Fishing with the Friedrich Busse. Fish. Mar. Serv. Misc. Publ. 40: 20 p. Au début de 1977, le ministère des Pèches et de l'environment concluait une entente avec la société National Sea Products Limited, la plus importante entreprise de pêche en haute mer de la côte de l'atlantique, dans le but d'évaluer la performance d'un grand chalutier-usine congélateur comme composant possible de la flottille hauturière future du Canada. En vertu de cette entente, National Sea Products Linnited affréta l'un des bateaux les plus modernes de ce type, le Friedrich Busse, de Nordstern AG, Bremerhaven, Allemagne occidentale. Avec à son bord des observateurs gouvernementaux, des capitaines et des membres d'équipage canadiens, le Friedrich Busse, lors d'une campagne de 5 mois (mai à octobre) pècha sur le banc de la Nouvelle-Ecosse, dans la mer du Labrador et aussi au nord que le cercle Arctique dans le détroit de Davis. Au point de vue financier, la campagne fut un succès, et National Sea Products Limited et le gouvernement fédéral se partagèrent un profit substantiel. Les prises étaient constituées en grande partie d'encornet capturé sur le plateau de la Nouvelle-Ecosse. Dans la mer du Labrador, on a capturé des crevettes et du sébaste, de même que d'autres espèces. Des membres prééminents de l'industrie furent à même de se renseigner sur la technologie requise pour le déploiement de bateaux de ce type. L'entraînement d'équipages canadiens pour ce genre d'opération poserait des problèmes, mais nous en sommes arrivés à la conclusion qu'il ne seyait pas possible d'exploiter efficacement des espèces non traditionnelles aussi bien que traditionnelles en eaux lointaines sans l'addition de chalutiers-usines congélateurs à la flottille hauturière canadienne. viii

10 1 Introduction On August 30, 1977, a large freezer-factorytrawler, one of the largest and most modern fishing craft in the world, crossed the Arctic Circle in the Davis Strait between Baffin Island and Greenland. For Canada, it was a historic moment. The ship was the Friedrich Busse, out of Bremerhaven, West Germany. Although she was flying the red, black, and gold flag of the Federal Republic of Germany another flag was fluttering beside it in the arctic breeze the house flag of National Sea Products Limited, Nova Scotia, Canada's foremost Atlantic commercial fishing enterprise, to whom the Friedrich Busse, with a Canadian government license, was under charter. It was a historic event, for as the Busse steamed north past Cape Dyer that day she was engaged in the first Canadian commercial fishing operation north of the Arctic Circle. It was a purely exploratory voyage, mounted as a joint project of the Technology Branch, Fisheries Management Maritimes, Department of Fisheries and the Environment, and National Sea Products Limited. It was one of a series of cruises undertaken to determine how Canada's offshore fishery could best meet the challenge of Canada's new fishing limit. During the previous year, 1976, there had been a somewhat similar arrangement between the Technology Branch and the two principal Atlantic deepsea fishing companies, National Sea Products Limited and H. B. Nickerson and Sons Limited. This program involved the familiar Canadian "wetfish" trawlers on a series of 28 exploratory voyages. The objective had been two-fold; first, to ascertain the potential of "distant waters" where traditional species such as cod and redfish might be profitably taken in hitherto unfished grounds; and second, to study the feasibility of a commercial fishery of species such as squid, capelin, mackerel, shrimp, argentines, and grenadier, fish that had been taken by European and Asiatic fleets, for years but never seriously, when at all, by Canadian. The search for nontraditional species in the 1976 voyages covered such familiar fishing grounds as Georges Bank, the Scotian Shelf, the Grand Banks, and coastal waters as far south as Long Island. Traditional varieties, principally cod and redfish, were sought in the distant northern waters of the Labrador Sea, and in the Denmark Strait between Greenland and Iceland. The accumulated experience of the 1976 voyages 2 clearly suggested that the prevailing technology in the Canadian deep-sea fishery might not be entirely suited to the hypothetical tasks assigned it by the new circumstances of the 200-mile limit and the North Atlantic fish catch restrictions. Northern waters such as the Labrador Sea and the Denmark Strait are too great a distance from most Canadian processing ports. Even the hardy traditional species as cod and redfish would need to be frozen for the long voyage home. Further, although the nontraditional species such as mackerel, squid, silver hake, and argentine are found in waters on the coastal shelf close to home they are too delicate and tender a texture to permit even a short voyage without being frozen. There was general agreement that if the Canadian fishing industry were to embark on any serious exploitation of either the distant waters or nontraditional species, or both, a new breed of trawler would be needed to augment the existing "wetfish" fishing fleet. It would be a vessel with minimally a freezing capability and perhaps with a factory and fish-meal facility as well. But precisely what type and size of vessel, how and where it would be deployed, in what numbers, and the problems this transition might pose for the Canadian industry were questions that remained to be answered. Officials of the Technology Branch of the Department of Fisheries and the Environment and executives of National Sea Products Limited, who had been in ongoing consultation through the period of the 1976 experimental fishing, were convinced that these questions would perhaps best be answered by chartering a modern freezer-trawler from one of the advanced European fishing fleets on an experimental basis, and applying it to the new requirements of the Atlantic fishery. These consultations resulted in a contract between the Government of Canada and National Sea Products Limited, under which an exploratory program with a freezer-trawler would be undertaken during the 1977 season. Under the terms of this contract National Sea Products Limited agreed to equip, outfit, deploy, and operate a vessel within the following specifications: 1. It would be a stern-rannp, freezer-factory-trawler of a minimum overall length of 90 meters (m), and fully equipped for midwater and bottom trawling. 2. It would be fully crewed, with sufficient fishing gear, spare parts, equipment, and supplies to permit continuous uninterrupted fishing for periods up to 60 days at sea, and capable of quick changes of codend mesh sizes. 2See Shift to the north, by Kingsley Brown Sr., Fish. Mar. Serv. Misc. Spec. Publ. 35: 23 p.

11 2 3. It would have a winch drum capacity of at least 254m (1400 fathoms (fath)) and the ability to fish to depths of 91 m (500 fath). 4. It would be capable of safely fishing under sea-ice conditions. 5. It would be capable of undertaking selected processing operations at sea. It was clear to both parties that the experiment would be expensive. The Government of Canada was prepared to provide risk financing and accordingly, agreed to underwrite the operation to a maximum expenditure of $800,000, with the provision that any profits accrued would be shared equally between Government and the Company. As this report indicates, the project was highly successful. It provided industry with a rich accretion of experience in a new technology, and without any expense to the taxpayer. Far from drawing on agreed government guarantee, the project returned a profit to the public purse. It also paid a handsome dividend to the many Canadian marine service industries engaged in the supply and support of the vessel while she was in Canadian waters. One Million Dollars Spent in Canada Excluding charter fees spent outside of Canada, the Friedrich Busse project directly injected just over $1 million (Canadian) in new money into the local economy during a 6-month period in This covered payment for goods and services required for the operation of the ship, in addition to personal spending by members of the crew. Finding a vessel suitable for the project was not difficult. For a number of years National Sea Products Limited had enjoyed a friendly relationship with a major West German fishery, Hochseefischerei Nordstern AG of Bremerhaven, which operated what were considered to be among the most advanced freezerfactory-trawlers in the world. It had been an unofficial and somewhat informal relationship resting on personal contacts between company executives and seagoing personnel of both companies. It is of historical interest that National Sea Products Limited had its corporate origin in a fishing industry based in Lunenburg, N.S., a community founded by German pioneers in the mid-18th century. Canada's Atlantic deep-sea fishery had been largely shaped by entrepreneurs, skippers, and seamen of German descent, and a tenuous, fraternal link with their transatlantic forebears exists to the present day. This circumstance had at least a minor bearing on the choice of a vessel. As an executive of National Sea Products Limited confided later, "From the beginning we have been impressed with the similarities between the German and Nova Scotian fishermen's work ethic, customs, innovations and technical superiority... We foresee as one of our most challenging problems the crewing of such a ship as we may require. We believe that solving this problem may be that much easier because of the close similarity in living standards, work technology and ethics as between our Nova Scotian sea people and the Germans." The decision was made. Charter terms were reached with the Nordstern Company and as a result the Fangfabrikschiff Friedrich Busse was made available for the Canadian operation. A vessel of the Bremen Class, built in 1972 at Bremerhaven, West Germany, the Busse was rated one of the most advanced fishing vessels in the world, and had earned an enviable record for profitable fishing in arctic waters, on the Grand Banks, in the Denmark Strait, the Barents Sea, and in the South Atlantic. Master of the Friedrich Busse was Kapitân Karl- Heinz Seidack, one of the most skilled and competent skippers in the German deep-sea fleet. The ship's company of 63 included a number of Portuguese, most employed in the fish-processing operations in the ship's factory and freezing plant. Fishing with the Friedrich Busse The Friedrich Busse cleared Bremerhaven on May 10, 1977, and 9 days later commenced fishing on the Scotian Shelf. The fishing plan specified that all species be utilized, and nontraditional species with no Canadian market be sent to European and Japanese markets. The Nordstern Company would take those fish for the European market, and arrangements were made with Nippon Suisan Raisha Limited of Tokyo to take squid and shrimp for the Japanese market. A representative of the latter company, Mr Yoshio Hanada, was sent to join the Busse as quality-control officer during the charter period. As the main purpose of the project was to evaluate a freezer-factory-trawler operation by the criterion of its usefulness in the Canadian fishery context, it had been agreed that officers and deckhands from the Canadian deep-sea fleet and technical personnel from shore processing plants should join the crew to gain first-hand experience in the operation of such a vessel. The contract also specified that official observers representing Fisheries and the Environment would sail aboard the Busse. From the earliest discussions of the project National Sea Products Limited had been in consultation with the two unions interested, the Canadian Brotherhood of Railway, Transport and General Workers (CBRTGW) and the Canadian Seafood Workers Union (CSWU). Cooperation of the unions was assured, and the parties arrived at a satisfactory working plan. Under the contract it was specified that where Canadian deckhands were members of the union they would be paid a flat rate of $45 per day, with a bonus of $50 for every 7 days spent at sea, vacation pay to be credited as guaranteed in the union contract. (This arrangement assured participating seamen of $365 per week, not too far removed from the average earnings of a Canadian "wetfish" trawler.)

12 3 SCOTIAN SHELF The Friedrich Busse fished over a wide area of the Scotian Shelf and the continental slope from May 19 to Aug. 7, commencing with several days on the St. Pierre Bank. During this period she was joined by a number of Canadian fisheries personnel. Two high-line skippers from National Sea Products Limited, Capts Morris Nowe and Alex Green, joined Capt Seidack at various times on the bridge, as did Capt Cyril Rose, veteran master with H. B. Nickerson and Sons Limited fleet. Henry Marks, a mate with National Sea Products Limited and Al Zwicker, a mate from the H. B. Nickerson and Sons fleet, also spent long periods on the bridge. Leonard Stevens, chief engineer on a National Sea Products trawler, also joined the crew, along with Captain Werner Muschkeit, operations manager of Nordstern Hochseefischerei of Bremerhaven (left), chats with Peter Bangay, fleet service manager, and Earl Demone, a director of National Sea Products Limited, Halifax and Lunenburg, N.S. deckhands Terry Crouse and Henry Demone. R. I. Cove, retired plant manager for National Sea Products Limited, spent some time on the Busse studying operations in the ship's factory. Roland Lilly, cook on a National Sea Products trawler, was an interested Observer in the galley. There was at all times a government observer aboard. In succession these were Craig Morrison, Andrew Storey, and Frans Aeyelts, each of whom kept a daily log of the operations, detailing such information as weather, position, depth and temperature of water, size and variety of catch, and all other circumstances pertinent to an evaluation of the project. It became apparent during the first weeks of fishing that the arrangement of the ship's processing line and machinery was not entirely suited to the kind of fishing encountered on the Scotian Shelf. The system of culling, gutting, heading, and filleting had been designed primarily to handle groundfish such as cod and haddock and process them into blocks for freezing. The catch on the Scotian Shelf, however, presented problems. During the first 10 days of fishing the Friedrich Busse took almost one-half million kilograms (one million lb) of fish, in the following quantities by species : pollock, 245,550 kg (541,350 lb); squid, 65,000 kg (143,300 lb); mackerel, 63,756 kg (140,560 lb); silver hake, 38,351 kg (84,550 lb); redfish, 9,865 kg (21,750 lb); argentine, 6,662 kg (14,600 lb); dogfish, 907 kg (2,000 lb); and mixed 18,207 kg (40,140 lb). The mixed fish included haddock, halibut, red hake, gaspereau, shad, and argentine what Capt Seidack wryly described as "the Atlantic Mix." In the mix caught in daylight hours there were as many as 14 species, of widely varying size. As fish came through the hatch from the deck into temporary holding bins they were carried by a series of belts and inclined conveyors to a culling table. From the table the fish were consigned to one of four conveyor lines, directed to the Baader machines, packaging lines, or into further temporary bins for other treatment. Only a cull of four, either species or sizes, could be effectively made. R. J. Cove, who had managed several advanced processing plants operated by National Sea Products Limited, was on board during this period and was impressed by the spirit of improvisation that enabled the factory crew to compromise with some difficult problems. For the first few days, he said, while adjustments were being made to the factory setup, the yield was something less than maximum. Captain Werner Muschkeit, operations manager for the Nordstern Company, was on board during this period, and with Capt Seidack directed modifications needed in factory setup to obtain the optimum yield from the mixed catch. There were some initial difficulties with squid. Nearly every tow contained from 225 to 900 kg ( lb) of small squid during these early summer days on the Shelf. (As the season progressed squid appreciated in size.) They were of uniform size and when separated from other fish were packed in 10-kg packages for the freezer. Unfortunately, due to the corrugated surface of the conveyor belts, many small squid were decapitated before reaching the packing line. These went into the fish-meal plant until the problem was remedied. Up on deck troth the factory down below, processing crew takes great interest in the catch from each haul. Note white uniforms and sanitary red gloves.

13 4 Then redfish presented problems, largely because of strict packaging specifications by the Japanese buyers. At 23:20, May 20, as Mr Cove recalls, all fish in the processing room had been cleaned up. Then, after a 1-h tow with bottom trawl, 18,143 kg (40,000 lb) of redfish landed on deck. They varied in size from 229 to 356 mm (9-14 in.), but 90% were between 229 and 379 mm (9-11 in.). "The Japanese requirements were stiff. The redfish had to be headed, gutted, and then graded into packs of eight different sizes. Our first problem was to head the fish. The heading machine had been adjusted for other species and we couldn't make a proper cut until we had done some adjusting. It took time." Yoshio Hanada, the quality-control officer representing the Japanese marketing agency, spent long hours in the factory helping the processing crew arrive at the necessary adjustments. "But then we made two good tows on small pollock. The redfish processing was discontinued while the pollock was processed into blocks. One Yoshio Hanada, quality control officer for the Japanese marketing agency which bought most of the catch, inspects redfish fillets in the ship's factory as Capt Morris Nowe looks on. large pen of redfish was left, about 15,000 pounds [6803 kg]. What we were going to do with it would depend on the next tow." The next tow brough in 6803 kg (15,000 lb) mixed, 60% pollock, 20% mackerel, and 20% squid. "At this point things were pretty well congested in the holding pens. VVe had several pens of pollock, the 15,000-pound [6803 kg] pen of redfish, plus the new mixture. "Then Captain Seidack put in an appearance, immediately ordering the German fishing crew into the processing room to assist the Portuguese factory crew to cull and separate the squid, mackerel, and pollock and take over the holding room area. "Then they put a second machine to work on the pollock, with German operators. The Captain went to work himself, heading the halibut and large hake himself, and had a busy couple of hours until the lunch break. The squid were all small and packed run of catch round in 10-kilo boxes. The mackerel too, were packed run of catch round in the same way." In the ensuing weeks, the Friedrich Busse made exploratory sweeps over wide areas of the Scotian Shelf. She fished the Emerald Basin, the Western Bank, Western Gully, Sable Bank, Georges Bank, and along the continental slope south-southwest of Emerald Basin. As the summer season progressed and June ran into July, the catch and size of squid continued to increase. The summer of 1977 was a "vintage year" for squid. The Busse's logs tell an interesting story of the squid fishery during the summer of During the first 10 days of fishing, between May 19 and 30, 65,000 kg (143,300 lb) of small squid were taken. In the immediately ensuing period of June 1-9 the log shows a catch of 69,104 kg (152,350 lb). From June 9 to 21 the log indicates that squid had shouldered out silver hake for first place in catch, with a total of 263,195 kg (580,250 lb). There followed a 3-day rest from fishing while the Friedrich Busse retired to sheltered waters off Blandford, N.S., where a significant portion of her catch was offloaded to the refrigerator ship Caribia for delivery to Germany. Fishing resumed on the Shelf on June 26, continuing without interruption until July 14. Squid had by this time become queen of the catch. With the progress of summer and increased food supply the species had grown significantly. Average weight for each squid ran to 180 grams (g) (6 ; oz). Total catch during this period was 941,017 kg (2,074,600 lb). Second largest component of the catch was silver hake, at 203,072 kg (447,700 lb). Most productive area during this period of squid fishing was southwest of the Emerald Basin, on the continental slope. The Friedrich Busse was not alone in this enterprise. A number of Russian, Polish, and even one Rumanian trawler were encountered. All appeared to be taking squid. It should be noted that current international price for frozen round squid ranged between $450 and 700

14 5 per ton (t), a reasonable incentive for an intensive fishing effort. There was a brief respite for the crew when the Friedrich Busse retired to the French port of St. Pierre, on July 15 to discharge cargo to the British refrigerator ship Kungshamn. Here the Busse transferred 82,976 blocks of frozen squid, neatly packaged in convenient 10-kg blocks, destined for the tables of Japanese gourmet consumers. During the transfer the ship's log noted that the blocks were holding at a temperature of -18 to -24 Celsius ( C). After taking on supplies and mending gear for several days, the Friedrich Busse steamed for the fishing grounds on July 20, trawling again in the Western Gully. Competition in these waters was keen, with at least 15 other trawlers, mostly East European, seeking their share of squid. It was pleasant and lucrative fishing. The traditional July fog for the area persisted, but seas remained moderately calm. This 18-day stretch of fishing produced 897,132 kg (1,977,850 lb) squid, 79,831 kg (176,000 lb) hake, 6,686 kg (14,300 lb) argentine, 3,991 kg (8,800 lb) mix, and 24 t fish meal. During a 3-day period from Aug. 8 to 11 the fish were transferred to a refrigerator cargo ship off Halifax Harbour. The Friedrich Busse then put into Lunenburg, N.S., to unload the remaining cargo of 275 t fish meal. we would have to consider the project a most successful one. This must be attributed to the efficient performance of the Friedrich Busse in sustaining a high catch rate while at the same time having a superior factory which can maintain a continuous high level of production. There is much we can learn from the skill, attitude, and work method of the crew on board the Friedrich Busse." The arrival of the Busse in Lunenburg Harbour was also something of a red-letter day for the historic old fishing port. The Friedrich Busse was by far the largest fishing vessel ever to shelter in Lunenburg Harbour. On Aug. 11, while motor trucks and derricks noised around the wharf removing fish meal, National Sea Products Limited hosted a reception for the skippers of all fishing vessels then in port. On the following day it was open house, and the men, women, and children of Lunenburg came aboard by the hundreds to see what many felt might be the shape of Lunenberg's fishery of the future. LIFE AWAY FROM HOME It was time, too, for those in the Canadian industry who had sailed on the Busse, to appraise what they had seen. Interestingly, deck officers and deckhands alike reported as their overriding impression an appreciation of the varied onboard amenities for the benefit of the crew. By the time the Friedrich Busse arrived in Lunenburg her crew had been at sea for almost 3 mo, and had no immediate prospect of returning home. For Canadian trawler crews, whose voyages rarely exceed 10 days, sea duty of this order was unthinkable. Few Canadians would volunteer for this kind of employment, at any rate of pay. The German crew's resignation to this regimen was explained in part by the onboard life-style afforded them. To begin, in the sense of communication, none were ever far removed from home. Even north of the Arctic Circle, as at any point on the globe, the well-appointed radio shack adjoining the bridge could always offer the comfort of instant telephone contact with wives and sweethearts back in Deutsch- Cargo was discharged at sea to the refrigerator ship Antaritide, off Lunenburg, N.S., as the 5-mo duty of the Friedrich Busse with the Canadian deep-sea fleet came to an end. ARRIVAL IN LUNENBURG The docking of the Friedrich Busse in Lunenburg was something of a project milestone. It was an occasion for recapitulation and a preliminary evaluation of the freezer-trawler within the context of the Canadian offshore fishery. There was a brief note from the Manager of Fleet Operations of National Sea Products Limited, Peter Bangay, to the Director of the Technology Branch, Dr Graham Bligh. "To date, The ship is festooned with ample spare gear for the long trips, and with repeated slogans exhorting the crew to good safety habits. This one reads "Beware moving lines! Keep your distance!"

15 6 land and in Portugal. Deck officers on the Friedrich Busse were understandably proud of their communication systems. The Telex console on the bridge kept the Captain in continuous contact with both his own principals in Bremerhaven and executives of National Sea Products Limited in Nova Scotia. Evening hours found a steady line-up waiting a turn at the incredibly loud and clear telephone connection with loved ones at home. The prospect of an unbroken 3 mo at sea, often under the most severe weather conditions, can scarcely be a pleasant one, but the German seamen seem to take it in their stride. Henry Demone, one of the Canadian deckhands who spent considerable time on the Busse, and who previously had served for several years on Nova Scotian trawlers out of Lunenburg, was impressed. "Apart from the size and technology of the ship, I found the main difference to be the attitude of the crew. Now, Nova Scotian fishermen are hard workers. They are competent, they are good fishermen. But their whole attitude is different. On a Nova Scotian trawler, well, you go out there, you work like slaves, you hate every minute of it, you want to make the trip as short as possible and get back home and enjoy yourself. "The Germans don't think that way. They consider themselves seamen, and since they are seamen they expect to spend most of their life at sea. And while they are at sea they don't necessarily live a miserable life. It's not fun, but they succeed in making life tolerable... They have quite a bit of social life. There is a canteen, and if you get off watch early you can sit down and have a few beers and talk. "Every once in a while they have a movie," said Mr Demone, "for they not only have a 16-millimetre projector in the lounge; they have video cassettes so that you can get the latest movies over the TV set on board... On a Canadian trawler there is nothing to do but work and eat and sleep. If you ever hope to get Canadians to operate these kind of vessels we shall have to change our whole attitude." Henry Demone detected other differences in worker attitudes. "If something breaks down on one of our Canadian vessels, well, if the trouble is obviously fixable the engineers will fix it. If not, they say 'Well, boys, let's go home.' "Not the Germans. They say, 'We'll do the best we can and get by.' They may not fix it 100%, but they keep the vessel going. They are supposed to be out there 3 months so they make the ship stay out there. They know they have to stay out there so they keep her going." German seamen in the deep-sea fishery regard their work as a career commitment. Advancement in their vocation is the principal motivation. "The initial motivation is to learn to be a good deckhand," Mr Demone said. "You have to spend 5 years on deck to start with, no matter how good you are... That's a regulation in the industry. Then you go to school for 2 years. That leaves you a Third Mate, and you have to claw your way up from there. "On our Canadian boats it is a lot easier to make the way up... But there is a lot of incentive on a German vessel to become a good deckhand. For instance, you begin as a 'Leichtmatrose' that means a kind of junior deckhand, a 'light' deckhand and a Leichtmatrose is not even socially accepted on board the boat. "For instance, I would go into the canteen with a Leichtmatrose, and sit down with three or four guys drinking... They would pour me a drink, but they wouldn't pour him one. The Leichtmatrose knows that unless he learns he is never going to be 'one of the boys.' It is a powerful social incentive to get ahead." There is also a strong financial incentive to move up. The Leichtmatrose is paid between one-third and one-half the salary of an accredited deckhand. Accommodations for crew on board the Friedrich Busse are comparable to those on the best Canadian "wetfish" trawlers. "But the meals on the German boat were very much better," reported Mr Demone. "After seeing the way the German cooks work I think our Canadian cooks could do a lot better." Cooks on the Busse were cooking for more than 60 people, yet were able to give the diners individual attention. "For example," said Mr Demone, "if they are serving steak the cook will ask whether you want it well done or rare... On a Canadian vessel, steak is cooked 3 or 4 hours before mealtime, put in a pot on the table and you take what you get. "It was the same with eggs. When you have eggs on a Canadian boat they cook them at 4:30 in the morning. You come in at 6 and eat them. There is no need for that when you have only 15 people to cook for... On the Busse when you have eggs in the morning the cook is standing there and says, 'How would you like them? Sunny side up, easy over, scrambled, with bacon or onions?' You wait maybe 2 minutes, and he serves the whole crew in about a half to three-quarters of an hour. "However, I must be fair to our Nova Scotian cooks," said Mr Demone. "There is a difference in the way the galleys work. On a Canadian trawler the cook not only tends the galley and cooks the meals; One Canadian observer declared the Friedrich Busse to be "the only ship he had ever known without a cockroach!" The working deck was regularly flushed clean with the hose.

16 7 he must also serve the tables. He has no stewards to assist him. On the Friedrich Busse there were stewards available to serve the meals on all the messes but if we are going to have to upgrade the life-style on Canadian vessels maybe we shall have to do something the same." Earnings for the German deckhands seem to be comparable to those received by Canadian trawler crews, but there appears to be less disparity between ship and ship in the German fleet compared with the Canadian. Mr Demone explained, "The crew on the Friedrich Busse had an unusually good year in 1977 because of the big catches of squid... At year's end I think they would have made something between $18,000 and 20,000 each... But without that kind of catch they might have made something less. "But in the German fleet the earnings vary very little between vessels, because of the keen competitiveness. Ship to ship, the earnings would be grouped within a few hundred dollars... In Canada, it is different. On a really good vessel, like the Cape LaHave for instance, the deck crew might earn well over $20,000. But then on a poor vessel, say a sidetrawler, the figure might be only $11,000 to 12,000. "On a good Canadian trawler a deckhand has the possibility of earning more than he might on a German ship. But the Canadian works a lot harder, because he must take a knife and dress every fish that comes aboard with his bare hands. Unlike the German, he has no machines to do it for him. For the Canadian there is a lot more hard, physical work." INCENTIVE PAY Although rates of pay roughly equal those received by Canadian trawler crews, there were differences in the scale of bonus paid for levels of catch, with probably a greater disparity between incentive offered various classes of crew. The incentive pay also varied with the species of fish landed. Under the schedule of the Gewerkschaft Ôffentliche Dienste, Transport und Verkehr (Public Service, Transport and Traffic Union) the Captain of a German trawler receives a bonus of 53 Deutschmarks (DM) per ton of cod (about $20 at 1977 exchange rates), while the lowest paid member of the crew, a Leichtmatrose, received 3 DM (about $1.25) per ton. A regular deckhand would take a bonus of about 4 DM/t cod, the ship's radio operator would recieve 7 DM. However, if for some reason any cod ended up as fish meal the Captain's bonus would be reduced to 10 DM, and the deckhands' to 2 DM. But even the fish oil paid off in incentive, the Captain received 5 DM and the deckhands 1 DM. The incentive for squid during the 1977 operations of the Friedrich Busse, was only slightly less than that paid for cod. A 25-t cod end on the deck would mean a bonus of close to $500 for the Captain and about $45 for a deckhand. Incentives for Canadian fishing crews are based on quite different criteria. Trawlermen receive a bonus based on volume of fish. Certain crew members (masters, cooks, etc.) receive a special bonus. There are also fixed bonuses based on sea time. Disparity in the incentive, as between crew members, is not so great as in the German fleet. NORTHERN VOYAGE After discharging her cargo of fish meal and taking on fuel and supplies at Lunenburg, the Friedrich Busse sailed on Aug. 13 for exploratory fishing on grounds in and north of the Labrador Sea. The vessel steamed out of the harbor into a smooth sea and fog at 19:45 and made ready to test gear the following day on the Emerald Bank. Excerpts from an observer's diary tell something of the northern voyage. August 14: Shot the net for the first time at 03:00, on edge of the Emerald Bank. Hauled back at 06:00 landing 15 t large squid. Three subsequent hauls brought up 25, 15, and 20t squid, respectively. Late at night, in heavy rain, made a rendezvous with another Nordstern freezer-trawler, the sistership Regulus, delivers mail for home to the Regulus, takes in exchange a supply of fish cartons for the Friedrich Busse. August 15: At 09:00 hauled back for a cod end of 35 t squid. Have taken more than 100 t in the last 24 h. Finished fishing, and commenced steaming eastward. Passed a large Soviet trawler on the Emerald Bank. Enjoyed a feature film, "Hoch Verrat," during the evening. Excellent dinner of curried rice and chicken. August 16: Clear of fog, sea smooth. En route to Newfoundland and north. Crew busy on deck mending nets. Advised by Telex that we shall pick up a National Sea Products Limited deckhand off St. John's on following day. Frank_Sinatra film in the lounge during the evening, with Pilsner beer for refreshment. August 17: At 06:00 a launch alongside a few miles off St. John's, bringing aboard Terry Crouse, bos'n from the National Sea Products trawler Cape LaHave. Vessel steams further north, finds indication Terry Crouse, bos'n on the National ', ua Products trawler Cape LaHave, joined the crew of the Friedrich Busse for the 3-wk fishing in northern seas.

17 8 of fish on the fishfinders, and shoots net at about 16:00. A modest haul of redfish, mostly small in size. These are headed, gutted, and packed round for freezing. They are destined for the Japanese market, and come under the careful scrutiny of Yoshio Hanada, from Tokyo, the buyer's quality control officer on board the Busse. Landed about 8 t in all, then continued north. August 18: On the Ritu Bank. Shot net at 07:30. Light rain and little sea. Fishing here not impressive, and bottom is uneven. In three tows landed only 1588 kg (3500 lb) redfish and some 272 kg (600 lb) turbot. Sonne shrimp were meshed in the trawl. Receive signal from Halifax reporting good shrimp fishing in area of Hawke Channel, N, W, some 420 sea miles north of present position. Capt Seidack decides to go. Captain Karl-Heinz Seidack (dark jersey) lends a hand at net-mending. shrimp during the day. They ranged in size from 110 to 140 to the kilogram. The larger turbot were headed and gutted and then sent round to the freezer. Smaller redfish ended up as fish meal. August 22: Fair catches of shrimp in the Hawke Channel. Few mixed redfish and turbot. Turbot and redfish comprised most of the contents of this cod end in a tow in the Labrador Sea. August 19: Steamed north all day, but at about 19:00 received Telex signal advising of a new position for fishing. Vessel has turned about and is moving south. August 20: Steamed south all morning to new position approximately 161 km (100 miles) east of Hawke Island. Passed a Norwegian automated longliner and two Soviet stern trawlers. Shot net at 11:55, hauled back at 14:00, with a mixture of redfish, turbot, shrimps, and crab. This mixture continued, with discouraging fishing, throughout the day. Shrimps were a little small, running 150 to the kilogram. Due to crabs and mud in the cod end most of the shrimps were crushed and ended up as fish meal. There was some net damage, which Capt Seidack personally took a hand in mending. Evening snack in the mess included a delicious serving of "Seelachs," which in flavor and appearance matches Canadian smoked salmon. The crew explained that "Seelachs" is in reality only pollock, smoked and artificially colored. It is popular with German consumers. August 21: Still fishing shrimp in the Hawke Channel on the south end of the Hamilton Bank. Sea smooth; fog. Fishing is mediocre, with some mixed redfish and turbot along with shrimp. Took about 9 t August 23 Continued fishing in the Hawke Channel. Changed for one tow to a smaller mesh, but with no significant increase in the shrimp catch. During the day's fishing landed about 3 t mixed redfi sh and turbot, of which about 2 t went for fish meal. Shrimp catch went to about 11 t, with some larger shrimp, running at about 90 to the kilogram. Also brought up a few grenadier, including some baby grenadier. August 24: Landed about 8 t shrimp, nearly all of which ran to about 120 to the kilogram. Took about 14 t redfish. There were also a few turbot and some squid in the nnesh. August 25: Good catches of shrimp, which are much larger than those caught earlier, running to only 50 shrimp to the kilogram. Redfish catch only small, but the fish are much larger. August 26: Weather poor. Landed about 18 t redfish, of which 10 t went to the freezer, much of it Deckhand uses a hose to wash a rich catch down the hatch. Shrimps, mixed with a few crabs and a grenadier or two, were taken in the Labrador Sea.

18 9 further north. Capt Seidack makes several unproductive tows, decides to turn south again and try for shrimp and redfish in the Hamilton Bank area. Passed large U.S. tanker heading north past Cape Dyer. A Greenland shark was one of several landed in the Labrador Sea. No longer prized for the fine leather made from their skin, they were thrown overboard. hand filleted, and the remainder (mostly small fish) to the fish-meal plant. Also took about 4 t turbot. Most fish were merely headed and gutted, then sent whole to the freezer storage. Sustained damage to the net, both wings badly torn. Made first good catch of grenadier during the evening, and also landed two very large Greenland sharks. Learned these sharks have a skin that has been prized as fine leather, but both were thrown overboard. August 27: Made five tows, with poor results. Took about 3 t redfish and 10 t large turbot. At 21:30 commenced to steam north for Hudson Strait and Baffin Island. August 28: In Hudson Strait south of Resolution Island. Made two tows. No fish, and only a few shrimp. In sight of Resolution Island at 13:00. Bleak panorama, with snow on the mountain tops. The thousands of seabirds that had followed the Busse all the way from Nova Scotia and Newfoundland have suddenly vanished. Made several tows in different locations, landed a few shrimp and some "Polar Dorsch" (Arctic cod, a dwarf variety of that species). Lunch of half-a-chicken, red cabbage, and french fries, followed by a feature movie in the lounge. Dinner of liver and onions. During evening entered Frobisher Bay. August 29: Fishing in the morning east of Cumberland Sound, Baffin Island, landing a few more Arctic cod. Took about 3 t, most cm (6-8 in.) long and went to the fish-meal plant. Further tows brought up little or nothing, and Capt Seidack determines to try further north. During darkness encounter ice field. Vessel reduces speed in ice and fog, navigating with powerful searchlights scanning the ice ahead. John Wayne in the feature film for the evening, with film sound competing with the crunch of ice against the ship's hull. August 30: During the morning, bridge reports Cape Dyer abeam, although not in sight. Busse continues north, and passes through the Arctic Circle during the afternoon. Wireless report from the Canadian icebreaker Hudson indicates heavy ice August 31: At 10:00 the Friedrich Busse is 193 km (120 miles) east of Cape Chidley. Radio shack picks up conversation between National Sea Products trawlers Cape Wrath and Cape Blomidon, fishing about 290 km (180 miles) south on the north end of the Hamilton Bank. Later, a Telex message with instructions to fish for redfish on the Hamilton Bank, and plan for landing in Halifax on or about Sept. 14. First Mate Wilfried Winkler reports his pet canary is nesting well, and he expects the eggs to hatch in a day or two. He has duly reported this to his wife and children in Bremerhaven by radiotelephone. September 1: Fishing on the Hamilton Bank, about 89 km (55 miles) northeast of Cape Harrison. Six tows during the day landed about 25 t redfish and 14t turbot. Five tons of turbot were processed for 10-kg blocks, 7 t larger turbot went loose into the freezer storage. The remainder went for fish meal. Most redfish was headed and gutted and put in blocks, but 2 t larger fish were filleted. September 2: Made several tows for shrimp, but without success. On receipt of Telex message from Halifax, the Friedrich Busse terminated fishing and steamed in the direction of St. John's, Nfld. The Friedrich Busse had completed her "distant waters" exploration. After heading south from St. John's the Friedrich Busse spent most of the remaining weeks of her charter on the Scotian Shelf. There was a short break in mid-september as the vessel discharged some cargo at Halifax and remained tied up while crew members enjoyed a long-awaited holiday and a visit to home in Germany. On their return the Busse commenced fishing on the Shelf, dividing time between Brown's Bank, the Sable Island Bank, and the Western Gully. This brief period of fishing was as uneventful as it was successful. Total catch ran to 2898 t, nearly all squid. Only other species taken was a small number of silver hake. The Fangfabrikschiff Friedrich Busse at a mail rendezvous off St. John's, N.S.

19 10 PROBLEM OF CREW One of the most challenging problems presented by the prospect of adding freezer-trawlers to the Canadian deep-sea fleet would be that of successful crewing such a vessel. An executive of National Sea Products Limited explained, "To take the Friedrich Busse, or a similar ship, and immediately place an all-canadian, inexperienced crew on board would invite certain and sure failure. There is no doubt in my mind that some of our masters and crews would fish such a ship every bit as successfully as the Germans. But there it would end. The actual fishing of such a vessel is an important but only a small part of the operation. "We are accustomed to the idea of a vessel that simply fishes. But a freezer-trawler like the Friedrich Busse is a complete production factory. The fishing and the processing go hand in hand, linked in a technique with which our people are not yet familiar." The crewing problem has been the subject of continuing discussion between Company executives, ships' masters, and officials of the trade unions involved. All parties appear to agree that Canadian crews would have to be phased in over a period of time, to ensure adequate training in attitudes and skills. Time required for such a training program would range from 3 to 5 yr. A senior executive of National Sea Products Limited was of the opinion that there should be an objective of approximately 30% Canadian crew content by the end of the first year. "It might take until at least the second year to develop some deck and engine room officers, and by the third year we should be in a position to fill a majority of the positions with Canadians, although it might take longer to prepare personnel to assume the position of master, chief engineer, senior first officer, and some others." Although no one anticipated great difficulty in recruiting the ship's deck crew (providing remuneration, incentive pay, and working conditions were satisfactory), there was some difference of opinion as to the best method to enlist ship factory workers. One view was that it would be easier to train existing fishermen to become factory workers than to attempt to recruit shore plant employees for such duty at sea. A contrary view held that most Canadian deepsea fishermen could not be persuaded to accept a type of employment which, mistakenly or not, they might feel denotes a different, if not inferior, social status. This view drew some support from the fact that factory workers on board the Friedrich Busse, as on other vessels of the German fleet, were Portuguese. It has been most difficult to recruit German seamen for work in the factory. A union leader interviewed felt that factory workers might best be drawn from the ranks of workers now employed in such service industries ashore as supermarkets, packing plants, restaurants, and hotels. FACTORY FACILITY There was a consensus among management personnel at National Sea Products Limited, ships' masters, and processing experts that the principal challenge to crewing would be the need to train suitable personnel for work in the vessel's factory. This followed an early conclusion that a freezertrawler would be of little or no value to the Canadian fish industry if it were not equipped with a factory facility. It was at once obvious that if redfish, cod, haddock, pollock, or other groundfish species are to be marketed as fillets, the filleting must be done on board. It is simply not economical to freeze whole fish at sea for later processing ashore. The energy cost of thawing, processing, and refreezing would be prohibitive. It was agreed that a factory facility aboard is indispensable, but this posed the problem of manning it. It was a problem to which Capt Alex Green, a senior shipmaster with the National Sea Products fleet, had given some thought. "So far as commanding a vessel of that type, and fishing her, I don't foresee any great problem. That goes for the deck work, too. We have good fishermen here in Canada, and they can handle the deck work on a ship like the Busse just as well as the Germans. "I am more concerned by what we shall need down below in the factory. Sure, we can soon find and train men to cull the fish and run the machines to clean and fillet them... but what we are going to need are machinists and electricians, the technical people. There is a lot of machinery down there, and right now we just don't have the kind of people going to sea who can handle that sort of thing. "When it comes to equipment we are not that far advanced," said Capt Green. "On our Canadian trawlers we have an engineer, a chief, and a second. The chiefs may be good mechanics; they know their engines. But they have no experience with electrical facilities, for instance. They have had no trades training for that, and that often means problems. "But what I saw on the Friedrich Busse was really fantastic. I was down in the factory one day and suddenly there was smoke flying from one of the electric motors. An electrician came on the run, took off the motor, replaced it with another one, then took the damaged one to the workshop. He rewound that motor and had it back in service again in a matter of 6 hours. "The production line was down for only about 5 minutes while he changed motors. In our ships, if we had no spare motor, we would have to return to port... If we are going to operate that kind of a vessel, we are going to have to find good electricians and good machinists to go to sea." Captain Green also found the German deck plan superior to that of Canadian trawlers. "Well, there is really no comparison, for when we haul back and the net is damaged we have to fix it up before we can shoot again. But if the same thing happens with the Germans they have the other net on deck ready to go... They have that split deck, and they have two of everything always ready to

20 The fishing deck offers shelter for nets, twine, and other light gear in daily use, and permits work to go on in the foulest weather. shoot. If the port net comes back damaged, they just leave it where it is on the deck, hook in their yo-yo and let the other net go. "When we have to change a net on a Canadian vessel it takes anywhere from 1 to 3 hours, depending on the weather and other things... On the German trawler, they don't lose 5 minutes. That's the difference. And don't forget, fishing time is money!" Captain Green said that he could foresee the freezer-factory-trawler joining the Canadian "wetfish" trawler fleet. "There are all those nontraditional species out there that we have never been able to catch, because we couldn't get them home fresh. Like the squid, and the argentine, and mackerel, and shrimp... If a German trawler can steam 7 days from Germany and make a go of catching squid, surely to God we can steam 4 hours from our own backdoor and make a go of it, too!" Captain Morris Nowe, another high-liner skipper with the National Sea Products fleet and 30 yr deepsea experience, agreed that the time has come for the Canadian fish industry to exploit the enormous potential of nontraditional species off Canadian coasts. "We have been talking for years about how we ought to be catching all those herring, and the squid, and the mackerel... and now they are talking about silver hake. But you can't do any of it without a freezer-trawler. I think the time has come for some action. We have to get out there and get those fish. The foreigners have shown us how it can be done. But now it is up to us to get some action!" Captain Nowe was on the bridge with Capt Siedack during the 3-wk voyage the Friedrich Busse made in the Labrador Sea and Davis Strait, and was greatly impressed by what he saw both on the deck and in the vessel's factory. "The shrimp fishery in the Labrador Sea has great potential. It's a good fishery to get into. It is not such hard work for the men, and it's a clean job. You don't tear up much gear, and with shrimp you are not getting into all the guts and blood. It is a good way to make a living if we can get at it, and it's profitable. There's money to be made in northern shrimp!" Captain Seidack (left) with Capt Morris Nowe, of the National Sea Products fleet, on the bridge of the Friedrich Busse. Captain Nowe was also impressed by the performance of the ship's factory in handling the redfish catch in the Labrador Sea. "It was when we got into the redfish that I could really see what the factory could do. Gutting and heading and filleting, and all by machine. But the machinery is the backbone of the operation, and you have to have good men to run them. I agree that perhaps our biggest problem would be in finding and training the Canadian workers to run the factory part of the operation. But I am sure we can do it!" Processing Room Operations in the "factory" are conducted on a 24-h basis, with the Portuguese factory workers divided into three shifts. Shifts are of 12-h duration, with 6 h off. During the 12-h shift there are two 15-min coffee breaks and a 30-min meal period. Basic work force at any one time is 18 men. Total work force of 36 men is divided into three shifts. A staggered system results in 6 men going off every 6 h replaced by six fresh men, permitting continuous operation with exception of the meal and coffee breaks. The work force consists of: 1 man controlling flow of fish from bins to machines, 1 man feeding the Baader 38 filleting machine, 1 man operating two Baader 47 skinners, 1 man operating a Baader 47 on culled fillets, 9 men boning and trimming fillets, 1 man weighing fillets, 3 men packing fillets and placing frames in plate freezers, and 1 clean-up and general utility man. In addition to the Portuguese production workers, four German workers are always present the Fishmeister (a working foreman under the direction of the Captain), two Baader servicing mechanics, and an electrician. Under heavy pressure, as needed, German deck crew are drafted to assist in processing the fish. Captain Nowe felt that the advent of bigger and more sophisticated deep-sea fishing vessels would accelerate an already visible trend in the direction of a better-educated work force in the fishery. "I would strongly recommend any young fellow who is interested in the fishery to get at least his grade 11. Certainly if he has any thought of ever making it to skipper. If he pushed on to grade 12

21 12 Captain Morris Nowe, master of the National Sea Products trawler Cape LaHave, admires the chart room on the bridge of the Friedrich Busse. all the better. I have had a couple of college graduates in the crew and they turned out to be among the best men I have had aboard. "We are getting a new different type of men today. You know, the workers ashore, everywhere, are looking for longer weekends and shorter days. It is the nature of the Canadian people to work for the good life. More of them want to get ahead. I think that's why we don't get the drunks and the bad guys at sea anymore. Most of the boys on deck today are of the domestic type. They save their money. They want time home with their families... And these are the kind of people we must be looking for, the real professionals, when we talk about getting crews for the freezer-trawlers." SEA-FRESH FROZEN GRADE Top fish industry executives see the freezerfactory-trawler as an indispensable corollary to an expanding and changing domestic market for fish products. With expected population growth, the Canadian market will grow in volume over the next few years. But it will also become, and is in fact rapidly becoming, a much more discriminating market. The marketing consultants within the industry are already discovering that the discerning consumers who insist on "Red Brand Beef" are becoming equally fussy about their fish. When these consumers shortly insist on some standard as suggested "Grade A: Sea-Fresh Frozen" only a freezer-trawler will be able to provide it. Similarly, marketing people see a promising potential for such abundant Canadian species as herring and mackerel, fish products that to date have never commanded any great respect from Canadian consumers because of a relatively indifferent standard of processing and packaging. Species like these, along with shrimp, will never realize their maximum market potential until the processing begins the moment they hit the deck at sea. significant and perhaps indispensable role in the development of a more sophisticated, balanced, and efficient deep-sea fleet. With the 200-mile limit, Canada now has sovereignty over one of the most prolific fishing grounds in the world. Although stocks of traditional groundfish such as cod and haddock are currently protected under international regulations, there are rich stocks of nontraditional species, such as squid, shrimp, argentine, and capelin, to be taken for both foreign and domestic markets. Once the major groundfish stocks have been replenished the Canadian deep-sea fleet will enjoy a catch potential not matched anywhere in the world. With its technically advanced fleet of freezers and "wetfish" trawlers, combined with a strong commercial infrastructure ashore, Canada will then be in a position to share with other world fishing powers the potential of such distant waters as the Antarctic, the Indian Ocean, the Canadian Far North, the Barents Sea, and the South Altantic. But the extension of Canadian enterprise into these areas will not be possible without the addition of the freezer-trawler to the fleet. In this context it is interesting to note some conclusions drawn by Dingle (1976). 3 Discussing the troubling problem of the short storage life of mackerel, this report says: "Present technology, particularly that having to do with freezing, should be capable of reducing some of the problems encountered in the Atlantic mackerel fishery. Provided the catch is promptly frozen, the excess fish from inshore operations, as well as those from any offshore fishery, could be held long enough in good condition for subsequent processing without temporarily exceeding plant capacity." And, in another section of the report: "A similar problem arises with the offshore mackerel taken by trawlers. As the storage life of iced round mackerel is very short, and the chances of achieving a really satisfactory dressing of the fish under sea conditions are not good, it seems likely that the use of refrigerated seawater systems, or of freezing trawlers, or factory ships, will have to be seriously considered." It can be noted too, that canned mackerel has never enjoyed any great popularity with North American consumers, mainly because the pack is inferior in both flavor and texture when compared with, for instance, salmon and tuna. The one exception is the Japanese mackerel pack, which is canned at sea within an hour or two of being caught. LESSONS LEARNED At the conclusion of the Friedrich Busse's period of charter fishing, officials of National Sea Products DISTANT WATERS Management personnel in the Canadian ocean fishery industry foresee the freezer-trawler playing a 3Dingle, J. R Technology of mackerel fishery bibliography and survey of literature. Fish. Mar. Serv. Misc. Spec. Publ. 30: 63 p.

22 13 Limited expressed much satisfaction with the experience gleaned from the project. "First of all, we learned quickly to recognize the kinds of problems we can expect if we add a freezer-trawler to our fleet," one executive reported. "Secondly, we learned something about the skills and aptitudes that would be required to make a freezer-trawler operation successful. For most part, they are qualities presently lacking in our wetfish fleet. "We learned that a freezer-trawler is more than a fishing vessel. It is a big industrial plant, involving administration and management, and employing around 70 workers. The skipper of such a craft would also have to be a manager. "Another important thing we learned is that for the purposes of our Canadian industry a freezertrawler without a factory facility would be useless. Energy costs are too high to permit a freeze-thawprocess-freeze cycle that would be necessary if all the catch were frozen round at sea. "It was clear from the Busse experience that we would need more docking facilities and greater frozen storage capacity ashore. Very few ports are capable of taking a large freezer-trawler today. "We learned a great deal about fishing gear, and the technology of gear handling, of a kind not known in our existing fleet, and we learned about the complicated infrastructure needed to keep a freezertrawler operating at a profit. "We also gained some invaluable knowledge about the marketing of the nontraditional species of fish, and have been convinced that there is no real problem in this area. "And finally, we learned enough to be willing to acquire a factory-freezer-trawler of the Friedrich Busse class and operate it, within the existing fish management plan, without government incentive or subsidy. The freezer-trawler, in our opinion, is a positive economic advantage to the Canadian fishery." Crew List Fishing With the Friedrich Busse.I 1 captain. 3 mates 1 radio officer 1 chief engineer. 1 2nd engineer, 1 3rd engineer : 1 electrician 1 assistant electrican 2 maintenance men for BAADER machines - 2 apprentice engineers for engine room to assist officers 2 oilers (maintenance and general work around engine room) 1 assistant for chief engineer 1 cook 1 cook assistant 1 steward 1 boatswain (winch operator) 4 net makers 8 deckhands 1 apprentice deckhand 1 fish factory officer in charge of fish plant 2 foremen of fish plant 26 fish packers 63 The Friedrich Busse completed 608 tows during 129 days on the grounds. Area Total Catch Tows Scotian Shelf edge between 60 00'W and 64 00'W concentrating between 90 and 140 fath 477 Hawk Channel, Labrador sea Southwest edge of Scotian shelf between 42 10'N, 42 27'N and 65 10'W, 65 40'W 26 Northside Western Bank 10 di Labrador Sea at 58 30'N 10 ' Emerald Basin 9 St. Pierre Bank Hamilton Bank 7 Southside Sambro Bank 6 Banquereau Bank 6 Ritu Bank, Labrador Sea 3 Cumberland Sound, Davis Strait 64 80'N 3 Hudson Strait 62 00'N 2 NE of Grand North 49 53'N, 49 49'w Total yield (t) of the Friedrich Busse fishery from May 17 to Oct. 26, 1977, while under charter to National Sea Products Limited and the Department of Fisheries and the Environment. Squid (Illex) Silver hake Pollock Mackerel Shrimp Argentine Redfish Turbot Fish meal Total

23 14 The Fangfabrikschiff Friedrich Busse Built in Bremerhaven, 1972, at a cost of about 23,000,000 Deutschmarks (at 1972 exchange rates, about $4,000,000). Estimated cost of similar vessel in a Canadian shipyard in 1978 runs to $16,000,000. (Although all weights are metric, catches are still measured in "Kijrbe" (i.e. baskets), a measure of about 50 kg. This compares with the ancient "quintal" measure of 112 lb which was traditional in the Nova Scotian fishery in the schooner-and-dory days.) Length overall: m (301 ft) Beam: m (49 ft) Draught: 6.30 m (21 ft) Displacement: 3182 gross tonnage Storage capacity of frozen products: 900 t Storage capacity for fish meal: 300 t Freezing capacity: 60 t max/day Propulsion: Twin diesels, (total 4800 HP) Full complement: 74 officers and men

24 The Friedrich Busse The Friedrich Busse was built at Bremerhaven in 1972 at a cost of 23,000,000 Deutsch marks. Her design was the result of long years of experience in the operation of factory trawlers, and plays a large part in the vessel's overall efficiency. The work deck is much longer than those of most stern trawlers. The fish-processing deck immediately below is even longer. This was made possible by the fact that the engine room does not continue up to the upper decks as in most motorships. Two exhaust stacks are mounted port and starboard, and support a connecting bridgelike catwalk from which are suspended the four heavy blocks for the fleeting cables. THE WHEELHOUSE The wheelhouse surmounts the superstructure. Windows on all sides afford an unrestricted view in all directions, including all sections of the work deck aft. Of the 16 windows in the wheelhouse, 8 are electrically operated, the remainder activated hydraulically. The wheelhouse is an impressive collection of the most advanced electronic equipment. One large radar screen is supplemented by two smaller auxiliary screens. A series of fish finders are conveniently positioned close to the captain's swivel chair. The DECCA autopilot, and DECCA navigator are in the same area. Propellor pitch controls afford bridge officers complete control of the ship. An interesting addition to the wheelhouse instrumentation is the "Man Overboard" console. In the event of such an accident, one needs only to punch a large red button and the vessel is placed at once under the control of a computer. The vessel will then make the required maneuver to bring it back to the precise point where the accident happened, an accomplishment extremely difficult under manual control in darkness or periods of reduced visibility. The chart room is on the port side of the wheelhouse, screened from the rest of the bridge by windows. Here the LORAN navigator is provided with an extensive chart collection of most of the world's fishing grounds and an adequate pilotage library. Further to port at a somewhat lower level is the radio hut, equipped with an extremely efficient radiotelephone facility in addition to a Telex console. During the 1977 Canadian operation, even in the most northerly waters, the Telex apparatus kept the vessel in communication at all times with Bremerhaven, West Germany, and Halifax, N.S. At rear and center of the wheelhouse is the winch operator's "office." A large window gives perfect visibility of the entire work deck, and from this position All running gear on the decks below can be controlled by the bos'n from this well-appointed console looking rearward from the bridge. he can operate all 16 winches, as well as open and close the big fish hatch. Microphone and public address systems provide continuous communication with the deck crew. DECK II One deck below the wheelhouse are the officers' quarters, with showers, toilets, and laundry area kept scrupulously clean by the stewards. Here, too, is a recreational area, with 16-mm movie projector, and a television set from which feature film cassettes can be shown. DECK III Deck Ill houses the crew's quarters, a drying room for boots and foul weather gear, the officers' mess, the petty officers' mess, and the crew's mess. It also houses the galley, which is equipped and staffed most efficiently. In addition to the main galley there is a "mini-galley" for the use of hungry personnel who may fancy cooking up a treat for themselves. All three messes are provided with a refrigerator from which personnel may obtain snacks at any hour of the day or night. This deck also contains the crew's quarters, and a well-equipped hospital, along with the main storeroom, complete with food refrigeration chambers. Small refrigerators are also provided in officers' cabins, mainly for the storage of cool, refreshing drinks. Aft on the same level is the work deck, long enough to enable the crew to handle the entire length of a net when it is on deck, and wide enough to accommodate two "lanes." This split deck affords the advantage that no time is lost when a net is hauled

25 16 The long split deck of the Friedrich Busse affords ample room for fast, efficient handling of net and gear. back and found to be damaged. Another net in the adjoining lane is ready for immediate deployment, so that fishing may continue while the damaged net is under repair. There are 16 winches available for net handling. Although these can be operated from the wheelhouse, there is a further control position on deck, adjacent to the fish hatch at the stern. Normally, when the net is being emptied into the hatch, the operation is controlled by members of the deck crew. Deck crew consists of nine deck hands and one deck officer, usually a mate who comes down from the wheelhouse when the net is fleeted in. DECK IV The fish-processing plant occupies most of this deck. The processing operation commences when the big fish hatch at the stern opens and the catch is dumped from the emptying net. From where the fish enter the bin, eight "channels" run forward to a conveyor belt. Contents of the net can fill either the four channels to starboard, or the four to port, depending on the position of the directional trough. Wooden boards are inserted to match the quantities that fill the bin, and are removed as the contents of the bin diminish. During the 1977 Canadian waters operation most of the catch was squid. From the bin the squid were dropped from the main conveyor belt to a sorting belt, where three or four men picked out broken or bad squid and discarded any other species of fish. All the unwanted fish were dumped on another belt to be conveyed to the fish-meal plant on a lower deck. Because the squid are to be packed round, the Baader filleting machine area is bypassed. The squid are given a cleansing shower as they continue along the conveyor belt to a holding tank. Before going into the tank a HOF! (Hochseefischwerker: fish packer) sorts out large from medium sized fish. For marketing purposes the squid are graded in accordance with an international code, with medium size squid designated number 906, and the large 905. Packing cartons are stamped with the appropriate numbers. The packers, usually about a dozen at any one time, get the cartons from an overhead rack. From the holding tank the squid pour slowly through a sluice into transparent plastic containers. Two men perform this operation, one filling the bag, the other checking the weight, adding or removing squid to arrive at the desired 10-kg content. The packers then work with an aluminum tray divided into two compartments. A carton, already stamped with the grade number, is placed in the tray. The squid, back uppermost and tentacles under, are packed into the frame, with two 10-kg plastic containers in each. This will ultimately yield two 10-kg frozen blocks. The carton is closed and the entire tray placed in one of the freezer units. There are six freezer units (each holding 45 trays of 20 kg) that freeze the contents at -24 C in 2 h. This means that the units have a total capacity of 4.5 t in 2 h. Once frozen, the trays are removed, the frozen blocks stamped out of the frames, packed into cardboard boxes, and transported via elevator to the freezer hold forward. DECK V Deck V, located under the after part of the fishprocessing plant and just aft of the engine room, contains the fish-meal facility and the storage space. The fish-meal plant has a storage capacity of 300 t. Fish is first boiled, then dried. ENGINE ROOM The Friedrich Busse is powered by two 2400 HP diesel engines that give the vessel a maximum cruising speed in excess of 13 knots. The engines operate at a constant speed of 300 rpm, which is geared down to a propellor shaft speed of 170 rpm. Speed of the ship is controlled through adjustment of propellor pitch, effected from the wheelhouse. Five generators provide the necessary electricity. A sixth generator is available for operation when the ship is in port and the larger generators are not needed. Brilliant deck lighting for night operations, powerful searchlights, and the enormous freezing capability draw heavily on the power supply while the vessel is in operation. Because the ship is designed to remain at sea for long periods at a time, she is equipped with two machines to convert seawater into freshwater. These have a combined capacity of approximately 18 t water per day. The engineer room is equipped with a large workshop provided with lathes, a drill press, both arc and gas welding equipment, and sufficient other tools and apparatus to enable the crew to make almost any kind of repair at sea. When all the Baader fish-processing machines are in operation, the machine shop can be a busy spot. Conveyor belts and electromotors have frequent breakdowns, and are repaired in the machine shop. Forward of the engineer room is the freezer hold, with a capacity of 900 t, kept at a constant temperature of -24 C.

26 17 Appendix Tables Profit and loss ($) for the charter period May to October Gross sales 3,369,382 Less selling expenses 107,322 Subtotal 3,262,060 Costs Charter fees 2,673,720 Unloading labor 140,769 Sundry labor costs 5,163 Travelling expenses 9,092 Cold storage charges 13,478 Miscellaneous expenses 10,925 Total direct costs 2,853,147 Applied overheads for marketing and general administration 168,469 Total costs 3,021,616 Profit 240,444 Summary of product sales. Species Volume Value Unit price (t) (5) Buyer Squid 3, ,584, Japan: West Germany Redfish ,845 1,189 Japan: West Germany Argentines 8.2 4, Japan: West Germany Cod 2.4 5,904 2,400 West Germany Haddock ,418 1,576 West Germany Round pollock 1.6 2,175 1,377 West Germany Silver hake , West Germany Halibut 2.1 5,591 2,650 Canada Shrimp ,943 1,494 West Germany Turbot ,141 1,095 West Germany Whole mackerel for smoking , West Germany Mixed species ,867 1,418 West Germany Grenadier ,494 West Germany Minced , West Germany Fish meal , England Fish oil , Canada 4, ,369, /t avg Northern cruise catch. Time fished Redfish Turbot Shrimp Other (h) (min) kg (lb) kg (lb) kg (lb) kg (lb) General position Aug ,896 13, 'N, 54 00'W Aug ,587 3, 'N, 54 00'W Aug ,400 1,836 4, 'N, 54 30'W Aug ,300 8,277 18,248 _, _ 53 10'N, 54 30'W Aug ,961 37, , 'N, 53 43'W Aug ,000 10,662 23,507 1,814 4, 'N, 53 50'W Aug ,603 16, 'N, 53 50'W Aug ,700 28, , 'N, 52 50'W Aug ,329 36,000 3,628 8, 'N, 55 30'W Aug ,721 6, , 'N, 60 00'W Aug 'N, 65 50'W Aug 'N, 62 40'W Sept ,637 94,000 11,793 26, 'N, 56 10'W

27 18 Friedrich Busse charter days. Elapsed Time From To (days) (h) Comments May 10 07:00 May 31 24: Left Bremerhaven May 10; commenced fishing May 17 June 1 00:01 June 30 24: Offloaded at Blandford June 23, 24, 25 July 1 00:01 July 31 24: Offloaded at St. Pierre, July Aug. 1 00:01 Aug : Offloaded at Lunenburg, Aug Aug :01 Aug :00 - Crew rest Aug :01 Aug : Sept. 1 00:01 Sept : Offloaded at Halifax, Sept Sept :01 Oct. 5 24:00 - Crew leave Oct. 6 00:01 Oct : Offloaded at Lunenburg, Oct. 26 Total Total sea days chartered Ship maintenance and return days 17.0 Total charter days Record of activity during charter period. Sailing date May 9 May 17 June 26 July 22 Aug. 15 Oct. 7 Sailing place Bremerhaven Nova Scotia Blandford St. Pierre Lunenburg Halifax Landing date May 17 June 23 July 14 Aug. 7 Sept. 16 Oct. 26 Landing place Nova Scotia Blandford St. Pierre Lunenburg Halifax Lunenburg Fishing days Catch (t) Squid Silver hake Mackerel Pollock Other Total Catch per fishing day 34.9 Total catch (all species) t (45.3 t/fishing day) Technologists/Observers on Friedrich Busse National Sea Products Captains: Don Weagle, Alex Green, Morris Nowe; Mate: Henry Marks; Bosun: Gerald Hannons; Cook: Roland Tilly; Chief engineer: Len Stevens; Deckhands: Allen Brown, Terry Crouse, Henry Dennone; Others: Bill Morrow, Peter Bangay, Kingsley Brown Sr., Kingsley Brown Jr., Earl Demone; Technicians: Yoshio Hanada, Hiroki Miyamoto. H. B. Nickerson and Sons Captain: Cyril Rose; Mate: Allison Zwicker. Government H. Douglas Johnston, David Lemon, Guy d'entremont, Frank King, Craig Morrison, Andrew Storey, Robert Piccott, Frans Aeyelts. Union Charles Moulton, Eric Nowe.

28 I F U up 5 f= Wheelhouse of Friedrich Busse 1. Chair of winch operator 2. Control handles for winches on port 3. Control handles for windows on starboard 4. Microphone to talk to the crew on deck and call them up for action 5. Hydraulic handle to operate rudder mounted under the window, reviewing the work deck. The rudder position can be read in degrees on a dial 6. Staircase leading to deck below; halfway is room with transformators 7. Chair of captain or first mate 8. Chair of second mate 9. Large radar screen 10. Smaller radar screen 11. Fish-finding gear 12. DECCA autopilot 13. Propellor pitch control handle 14. Second auto pilot 15. Small chart table 16. DECCA navigator 17. Seats 18. Table 19. Chart table with drawers 20. LORAN navigator 21. Chronometer 22. Bench 23. Radio hut, half a level down

29 20 A / I t /t I r t / i / / % \ \ / / i 1. Stern ramp 2. Fishing deck 3. Factory deck 4. Fish-meal plant 5. Engine room 6. Bridge 7. Living quarters 8. Freezing units 9. Cold storage 10. Fish finder

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