Alaskan Leader to build new longliner

Andrew Jensen, Alaska Journal of Commerce

Feb 14, 2012 - 04:43 PM

A big ship-building contract was signed today between Alaskan Leader Fisheries and J.M. Martinac Shipbuilding Corp. of Tacoma.

The 184-foot F/V Northern Leader will join the freezer longline fleet in April 2013 if construction goes as scheduled, and will take advantage of the bigger processing platform to utilize up to 100 percent of the catch. Currently about 40 percent of the Pacific cod catch is discarded (head and offal). According to the press release, this full utilization of product will add about 20 percent to the catch value.

The Northern Leader is expected to be one of the largest freezer longliners in the world, with 38,000 cubic feet of refrigerated hold space and an estimated capacity of 1.87 million pounds of frozen seafood.

The vessel won't replace any current freezer longliners, as Alaskan Leader is utilizing a license allowing this sized vessel. One of the key factors driving the Alaskan Leader investment is the formation of a voluntary co-op among the freezer longliners authorized by Congressional legislation passed in December 2010. With stability among the harvesters after ending the race for fish, financial investments are more attractive in new vessels that allow fuller utilization of the catch and more value-added products.

Here's the press release featuring loads of quotes and specs.

Here's a blueprint of the Northern Leader layout.

Finally, a rendering of the vessel.

F/V Northern Leader

This is the second new longliner announced in the couple months. Alaska Longline Co. is building a new 136-footer at Alaska Ship & Drydock in Ketchikan.

Both vessels have CDQ ties. Alaskan Leader is 50 percent owned by Bristol Bay Economic Development Corp. and 50 percent by the seven founding families of the company.

Alaska Longline Co. is 25 percent owned by Aleutian Pribilof Island Community Development Association.