The ceremony was attended by I.V. Shestakov, Head of the Federal Agency for Fishery, A.A. Yakovlev, Deputy Chairman of the Committee for Industrial Policy and Innovations of St. Petersburg, and executives from the Russian Fishery Company and Admiralty Shipyards. In the presence of the honored guests and media, the shipbuilder and customer representatives delivered welcoming speeches, highlighting the significance of the event for Russia's entire fishing industry.
"These new-generation vessels provide maximum safety, adherence to global environmental standards, and improved working and living conditions for crews. We are pleased to see such large-scale projects being implemented in Russia at the Admiralty Shipyards. This is our country's oldest shipbuilding facility. This is where the traditions of Russian shipbuilding are being strengthened and modern expertise is being developed. Behind all this are the people working at the facility, who design and build Russia's new fleet,"
The Mekhanik Shcherbakov super trawler is the sixth fishing vessel in a series of ten to be built at Admiralty Shipyards as part of the investment quotas state program of aimed at renewing the national fishing fleet and improving the efficiency of valuable national bioresource utilization.
"Today we are launching the sixth vessel in the series ordered by the Russian Fishery Company. We're doing this here at the Admiralty Shipyards, which celebrated its 320th anniversary just a few days ago! We wish our partners – the Admiralty Shipyards – to remain at the forefront of the Russian shipbuilding industry for centuries to come, with new victories and orders. We don't plan to stop at the sixth vessel: right here on the southern slipway, two more vessels in the series (the seventh and eighth) are going to be laid down in early 2025. We hope for comprehensive support from Rosrybolovstvo and the Russian Government in implementing this unprecedented project. Together, we're certain to succeed. Thank you very much, and congratulations to everyone!"
The new ST-192 super trawler – Mekhanik Shcherbakov – is named afterof Ilya Shcherbakov (1930–2020), a distinguished industry veteran and a senior mechanic. He started his career as a motorman on fishing vessels and worked his way up to become a senior mechanic on large-capacity ships. While working, he completed his secondary education in a working youth school and later received a degree in engineering through distance learning. Ilya Shcherbakov submitted numerous work improvement suggestions. He readily shared his experience and knowledge with young specialists as a crew training leader. For his dedicated work, Senior Mechanic Shcherbakov was awarded a letter of appreciation on a historic day for the industry – the first Fisherman's Day in the USSR history on July 11, 1965. For his courage and heroism during emergency operations at sea, he was included in the Golden Book of Honor of the Far East Fishing Industry's Main Department. In 1971, he was awarded the Order of the Red Banner of Labor.
"The news that a new vessel of the Russian Fishery Company would be named after my grandfather was a momentous occasion for me and my entire family. This is the best gift and recognition of his professional achievements. Our family is immensely proud of this honor. May the crew of this vessel be as professional and courageous as my grandfather as they continue his life work."
The Mekhanik Shcherbakov trawler, like other ST-192 vessels of the Russian Fishery Company, is among the largest and most technologically advanced Russian fishing vessels. Each new vessel is designed to annually haul in more than 60,000 tons of fish, which is 2.5 times higher vs. the capacity of the current main vessels in the Russian Far East fishing fleet. The Russian Fishery Company's super trawlers will be able to operate in the most challenging weather conditions to extend the effective fishing time.
The new fleet stands out for its significantly enhanced production capabilities, utmost safety, superior eco-friendliness, and improved work and leisure conditions for their crew. The vessels are fitted with state-of-the-art facilities capable of comprehensive waste-free processing of the entire catch into high value-added products, primarily pollock fillets and surimi.
