trawler factory Pierre Pleven

Built for Pleven Fisheries in 1966  by "Ateliers et Chantiers de Nantes", Pierre Pleven is a mixed trawler, salter-freezer sister-ship Colonel Pleven II. However, she is equipped with a more powerful engine of 2525 HP.

With two fishing campaigns a year, from February to July for the first, the end of August to December for the second, this versatile trawler browses the banks of Newfoundland to fish cod.

To make up for the decline in fishing quotas for cod, Pierre Pleven and Colonel Pleven II are converted in 1977 to lobster fishing off the coast of Africa. It is a failure, the two boats are disarmed and put on sale in 1978. Pierre Pleven is sold in May 1980 to the SAPMER fishery in Reunion where she became the Austral.

Based at Reunion island, the Austral fishes lobsters near the islands of Saint-Paul and Amsterdam during the austral summer. This is carried out by using traps posed by small boats that are delivered on deck every night. In winter, the Austral is trawling in the area of Crozet and Kerguelen Islands.

In 1993, The SAPMER acquires a new ship built in Gdynia, Poland which will also be named Austral. The Austral (formerly Pierre Pleven) is then put on sale and bought by a Portuguese fishery.

A stamp was dedicated to the Austral when she operated for SAPMER.

Note: No. 58 (January 1996) RC MARINE devotes a section to a 1/50th scale model of the Pierre Pleven.

Last update : 2010-08-20