Atlantic shrimpers unveils two new vessels

As part of efforts to ensure continuous supply of high quality frozen seafood products and affordable fish protein, the Atlantic Shrimpers Limited (ASL) has unveiled two newly acquired trawlers-Seven Stars I and Seven Stars II, as part of its growing trawler fleet.

Unveiling of the two state-of-the art vessels, last Thursday, forms the largest investment of the company in terms of fisheries in the West African sub region in the last 28 years.It also reflects the company’s confidence and belief in the country’s fishing industry, internationally recognised as one of the best-managed and sustainable fisheries in the world.

Managing Director of the company, Kamlesh Kabra said consistency, both in terms of quantity and quality, remains the driving force for the expansion of ASL fleet and also the intrinsic value of the Prim7Stars brand.

“Prim7Stars is a seafood brand known for a high quality range of wild caught products. Approximately 3,500 metric tons of tropical shrimps are caught annually and distributed worldwide. This is why we as a company are proud of the investment in the new trawlers, which are set to improve various aspects of our business, including consistency in the quality of our produce, personnel safety and overall efficiency.

“ASL remains committed to the continuous supply of high quality frozen seafood products caught by our fleet in a responsible and sustainable manner to the Nigerian market, providing affordable fish protein to Nigerians,” Kamlesh said.

While unveiling the trawlers, Minister of State for Agriculture and Rural Development (FMARD), Senator Heineken Lokpobiri, who congratulated ASL on the feat, said the company’s investment in the new vessels will not only support existing jobs, replace aging vessels and processing technology, but will also usher in new opportunities.

“Our ultimate goal is to attain self-sufficiency in fish and aquaculture production and the ministry is striving to create an enabling environment for the private sector to thrive and fill in the missing gap, as the ministry has placed fisheries and aquaculture top among its value chains development programmes.

In his remarks, Chief Executive Officer, Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC), Mr. Olusegun Awolowo appreciates ASL in contributing towards the success of zero oil economy in Nigeria.

According to him, “we have emphasised over 22 sectors where Nigeria can make money in the international market by selling our products and 19 of these sectors is the agricultural sector. I believe this will showcase what we can do and produce outside oil.”

ASL has been active in shrimp trawling since the 1990s as the largest fishing company in West Africa, having a fleet of over 70 ultra-modern trawlers fishing in Nigerian waters and the addition of Seven Stars I and Seven Stars II, reinforces sustained commitment to top notch quality.