Wanchese Argentina, a branch of the Wanchese Fish Company under the ownership of Cooke, has recently introduced a newly constructed scallop vessel into its maritime lineup, the Eric Bruce II.
Erin Bruce II, the name given to the vessel, was christened this weekend at a ceremony in Vigo, Spain. Thus, it marks the second vessel in Cooke's Argentine fleet for Wanchese Fish Company in recent years.
The name was chosen in honor of its predecessor, the Erin Bruce, built-in 1978. This was the pioneer vessel of the Argentinean scallop fleet. Now, the new one, built by the Astilleros Armon shipyard in Spain, will continue the legacy.
Among the most outstanding features are its 50.5 meters long and 12 meters-wide vessel. In addition, it has a cargo capacity of 400 cubic meters and the possibility of accommodating up to 37 crew members. All these features make it the largest new construction of a factory freezer trawler in the Argentine fishery and the first one built specifically for scallop fishing.
Thus, the function of this new vessel would be to accommodate Patagonian scallops. The Erin Bruce II would harvest these year-round and freeze them at sea within an hour of harvest to ensure maximum freshness.
"This new vessel is designed to be fuel efficient, offer modern accommodations for the crew, and leverage new technology and equipment to find new efficiencies in our harvesting and processing," said Ross Butler, CEO of Cooke Seafood USA. "We are excited to welcome the Erin Bruce II to our fleet." Finally, he added that the company will continue to replace and modify vessels in the coming years.
For the moment, the company commented that the vessel will sail to Argentina shortly. The Eric Bruce II plans to commence operations in Argentinean waters during the first quarter of 2024.
Since 1936, Wanchese has epitomized fresh seafood, serving both the dining and retail sectors. Renowned as scallop pioneers and prolific providers of diverse marine delicacies, from flounder to shrimp, Wanchese ensures premium quality. Moreover, it has a robust presence across North America and Europe, the vertically integrated company annually harvests over 4,000 tons of seafood. Notable for introducing Scallop Medallions™, Wanchese's innovative spirit continues to redefine industry standards, promising an enduring legacy of excellence.
Cooke is a family-owned and managed company that has operated a sustainable aquaculture business in Canada for over 35 years. The Cooke family of companies has diversified operations in Europe. Among them are Scotland, Northeast Nutrition Scotland, Cooke Aquaculture Spain/Grupo Culmarex, and Bioriginal Europe/Asia in The Netherlands.