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ENTREPRENEURSHIP ALL THE YEAR ROUND The natural circumstances prevailing in the sea regions of Finland are exceptional. Ice covers the sea part of the year making fishing impossible. In spring and autumn pack ice may cause problems along the coast, but in summer time the sea is always open. These circumstances vary, however, from year to year. Once or twice a decade winter causes problems in the Bothnian Bay and in the eastern parts of the Gulf of Finland only, but just as often all our fishing waters are covered by ice. The annual number of fishing days is less than a half of those in Denmark, for example, and the harsh conditions set special requirements for the vessel and equipment, as well as for the crew. The first trawlers to be used for off-shore fisheries were brought to Finland in the 1950s from Denmark where they had been used for decades. Although the conditions of this new fishing method were different from coastal fishing, the actual seafaring skills were not unknown to the fishermen. Many of the early professionals worked as pilots or shipped fish to far-off places. The threshold when changing from coastal fishing to off-shore fishing was not, however, easy to cross. On the open seas a bigger boat was required, which involved a considerable investment and required specializing in a single fishing method. For many fishermen this meant giving up their traditional way of working. It also meant leaving their homesteads, because the large trawlers required deeper waterways and better connections for transport of fish. The fishing trips became longer and the catches grew, and for the professional fishermen navigation skills and entrepreneurship became more important than craftsmanship and knowledge of nature. A fisherman could now live in the village and have someone else’s dock as home port. Off-shore fishing is not bound to a given time or place but to movements of and demand for the fish. The trawler fleet grew fast in the 1960s giving rise to a network of fishing ports and a nation-wide fish trade. In the 1970s the declining demand for herring drew fishermen to drift net fishing of salmon, whereas the recent regulation of salmon fishing made cod a good alternative for a few gill- net fishermen who operated in the main basin of the Baltic. |
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 Drift net (drift line), A gear floating with the currents, usually a surface net or a line |
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HERRING IS THE MOST IMPORTANT SPECIES CAUGHT Ever since the early
days of modern fishing herring has been the most important species
for the commercial fishery, both in quantity and in marks paid.
Herring is almost exclusively caught with trawls. The traditional
seines, trap nets and gill nets are still used but their share
of the catch is very small, although locally important. The bigger size of the vessel required in pelagic trawling allowed a better arrangement of working space and a more efficient handling of the catch than on most of the old oak trawlers. Many fishermen, aiming for better quality, gave up their old vessels and bought bigger steel trawlers. Most of these vessels brought to Finland were second-hand as well, although in some areas, e.g. in the Bothnian Bay a fishing fleet was soon formed of smaller, under 20 m trawlers which were built in Finland. They combined an efficient use of capacity and space, and their navigating properties in our icy waters surpassed those of the wooden trawlers. Pelagic trawling changed the very nature of this fishing method. As trawling in mid-water or near the surface is not bound to a certain place or to the movements of one fish population, the fishing trip could now be directed to any grounds where herring was located. This possibility increased the number of successful fishing days significantly. The total catches grew and herring was available on the market more evenly all the year round. Today the sequence of work on the modern big trawlers is mostly determined by the needs of the fish-buying consumers. |
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HERRING CAUGHT IN ANY WEATHER A herring trawler, which is more like a ship than a boat, is a challenging place to work on. The skipper must control a good hundred tons of steel and a thousand horse power day and night in all seasons and under any weather conditions. The crew must be able to work precisely and effectively to guarantee the prime quality of the catch. During an ordinary twenty-four-hour fishing trip the crew works hard and without a change of shifts. Many trawlers have two separate crews working alternately on board, and each member of the each crew has responsabilities of his own. The skipper schedules the fishing trips according to the wishes of the purchasers and considering the prevailing conditions. In practice the vessel is constantly at sea with the exception of stormy days. The catches of a large
trawler are sold before they reach the port, since there is little
sense in fishing several tonnes of herring without a distinct
plan for their use. Contracts have been made with one or more
purchasers stating the wanted kilogram weights and size classes,
and the fishing trip is then planned accordingly. When it is
known in advance how the fish is to be sorted out and packed,
the work at sea is more effective. Trawlers usually have permanent
home ports where they bring their catch. This makes it possible
for the crew to standardize different phases of work and to create
a smooth process for handling of the catch. One of the advantages
of a large trawler is a proper working space where herring can
be handled in hygienic conditions. When the amount of fish required
has been caught, the bow can be steered towards the home port. After unloading of the catch all handling rooms are cleaned and washed, and new refrigerated containers are lifted aboard and placed in the hold ready for a new catch. If the weather is favourable and there is a demand for herring the vessel is unmoored and fishing continues without even stopping the engine. The crew changes but the trawler keeps on working to guarantee an uninterrupted availability of prime quality herring. |
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Refrigerated container, An insulated plastic container for storing and transporting fish |
