Kirkella trawler

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Kirkella is a British freezer trawler that catches cod and haddock. It is based in Hull, England, and is part of the UK’s distant-water fishing fleet. The ship was registered in June 2018. It is about 81 meters long, 16 meters wide, and weighs around 3,976 gross tons. The crew’s accommodation includes a gym and a cinema.

Kirkella’s fishing rights are set by international agreements. It has fished in areas overseen by NEAFC and NAFO, and has worked with Denmark (on behalf of Greenland and the Faroe Islands) and with Norway. Normally a large part of its catch comes from off Norway, but after the UK left the EU, the UK could not immediately secure access deals with Norway, so the ship could not fish for part of a year. A full access agreement with Norway was signed on 21 December 2021.

Kirkella provided about 10% of the cod and haddock used in fish and chips.

Its main fishing grounds are the Barents Sea, Greenland waters, NAFO waters in the northwest Atlantic, and the Norwegian Sea. Each voyage lasts four to six weeks.

Kirkella was named by Princess Royal on 24 April 2019 in a ceremony in Greenwich. The name was conferred in a ceremony attended by the ship’s owners, officers, and crew.

The ship was designed by Rolls-Royce Marine AS of Norway. The hull was built by CRIST Shipyard in Poland, and fitted out by Myklebust Verft AS.