9/7/13

There is an awful lot to be said for unloading a premium catch of quality fish in premium quality condition - it is a signature of professionalism that distinguishes premier long range vessels from something else. The catch of fish, the condition in which it is maintained during the voyage, and most importantly - the condition in which anglers receive the end product, is a serious responsibility; and not simply because of the investment anglers make in time and capital - it is an ethical obligation to the resources being harvested.

Industrial capacity refrigeration systems are necessary to handle the occasions when there is exceptional fishing for tuna especially - they are warm blooded and carry tremendous latent heat. Anything less than the capacity to handle such fishing, which is often encountered during long range voyages, leads to inferior quality upon unloading - or worse.

I make the point today as I am frequently asked what is different about Royal Star and our method of fish handling and storage that so consistently produces such incredible premium quality. It is our refrigeration system, designed and installed by us in 2003, the knowledge of how to appropriately operate the system, and the professional dedication of our chief engineers who guard the product consistent with our standards, and their own beliefs, while it is being caught and once it is on board. The Captain's, Chief's, and entire crew understand the importance of the responsibility, of what is at stake.

Beyond that is also the knowledge of how, when, and what is coming on board. There are many times that we make fishing decisions that lead to the best quality product. That can even mean stopping fishing at times to ensure that what is already on board turns out perfect, or moving to a different zone to target different species; in our view it is much better to have half or two thirds as many perfect fish in the end than everything one could have caught in the fish holds in less than superior condition.

With the refrigeration we have it is a very rare occasion that we find the system taxed to the point that we must stop to allow the units to catch up. But that threshold does exist, we know where it is, and gladly arrest production if we come up against it; that is what we call having a "quality problem".

That threshold exists on every vessel, and is different for everyone. It is of paramount importance that Captain's and Chief's know the limits of their refrigeration systems and have the professional maturity to slow down, or stop even, when the catching is too good. A huge catch of fish coming in that was not properly chilled or frozen is a terrible result and perversely contrary to responsible stewardship and respect for the resources we are so blessed to harvest.

A couple of photos today from 20 year Royal Star veteran Nate Beneze who shared some of his images from the trip. The first is a shot taken an instant before Nate's daughter Stephanie landed her 128# bluefin, the second is more "girl power" in the form of a couple of morning croakers landed by Stephanie and Jennifer Wakimoto.

Tim Ekstrom

Photo Here...

Photo Here...