Argentine shipowner Pedro Baldino acquires 65-metre freezer vessel "Fonseca" hull, plans conversion to fresh-fish mode for hake fishing

Pedro Baldino, a shipowner from Mar del Plata, Argentina, has purchased the hull of the fishing vessel "Fonseca". The vessel is a freezer ship with a length of 65 metres, a beam of 10 metres and a fish hold capacity of 375 cubic metres, formerly owned by the Mattera family.

The vessel's fishing licence had previously been acquired by Chinese-capital company "Moderna", which subsequently transferred it to a project introducing a stern trawler (barco potero). After the sale, the "Fonseca" was once on the verge of crossing the line to a shipbreaking yard, but it now appears to have changed course and become a job generator again — providing jobs both for crew on board and for onshore seafood processing workers.

In an interview, Baldino revealed: "We intend to send it out to fish for fresh fish using the licence of one of the older vessels I have. It could be the licence of the 'Galemar', 'Margot', 'Mellino I' or 'Mellino VI'; we still need to see which one is most suitable." The shipowner did not mention the transaction amount.

The vessel is currently moored near the SPI floating dock, awaiting entry into dry dock to begin a nine-month repair project. The deck and the variable-pitch propeller system need to be replaced, along with some minor works. Baldino said: "This is an excellent vessel, one of the best in the fleet." At the same time, he acknowledged that the navigation safety certificate must be renewed before it can fish again.

To complete the deal, the Mar del Plata shipowner joined forces with Chinese-capital company "Fishing Tai Su", and the two parties plan to import a second-hand trawler in the medium term.

According to the shipowner's preview, the plan is for the vessel to go out fishing for hake (无须鳕) with about 5,000 boxes, and the catch will not be sold at the dock but sent to the "Ostramar" processing plant for filleting. The plant is owned by Marcela Caputo and is currently managed by Franco Vóttola under the company name "Franeva Group".

According to union sources, with such a fish hold box count, the vessel should be staffed with 12 sailors, plus engine room and deck officers. At "Ostramar", this catch could potentially increase jobs. When Vóttola took over the plant, he started with 20 filleting workers, and he said at the time that if fresh hake came into the plant steadily, the filleting workers could increase to 50, and a double shift could even be started. Baldino will guarantee this supply through continuous vessel operations.

Baldino defined his relationship with Vóttola this way: "The two of us are helping each other. I give him the fish to keep jobs going; he processes it for me so that I can export. Demand for white fish is very strong, and the price has risen a little: between US$3,700 and US$3,800 per tonne of fillets."

After parting ways with Leandro Ciccolella, Baldino received part of the fleet but did not get the two processing plants under the former partnership: "El Marisco" and "Fishing Ground", the latter being where Taturiello is located. The shipowner concluded: "I wanted to keep at least one of the plants so I would have a place to cut fish, but I couldn't reach an agreement with Leandro... it's in the past now."