Nov. 22: Fishing vessel refrigeration workshop in Kodiak
October 31, 2011
Most Alaska fishermen know that top quality seafood — and top prices for their catch
— begins with properly chilling their harvest aboard their vessels while at sea.
As the number of commercial fishermen who refrigerate their catch at sea continues
to increase, so too has the need for help troubleshooting and maintaining their onboard
refrigeration systems, especially when fishermen are far from port.
Since 2005, the Alaska Sea Grant Marine Advisory Program has partnered with Integrated Marine Systems, Inc., to help some 220 Alaska fishermen
better understand, troubleshoot and maintain their onboard refrigeration systems —
training that has decreased downtime and increased fishermen's abilities to troubleshoot
minor problems and communicate with technicians onshore.
MAP and Integrated Marine Systems will bring their popular training workshop to Kodiak
8:30 a.m. Tuesday, Nov. 29, 2011, at the UAF Fisheries Industrial Technology Center across the bridge on Near Island.
The one-day workshop will teach fishermen how to maintain, operate and troubleshoot
onboard fishing vessel refrigeration equipment. Additional topics include refrigeration
theory, system winterization, controller programming, and system sizing. Participants
will use a stand-alone, marine refrigeration unit for hands-on training.
The cost of the workshop is $200, and includes a refrigeration manual. Pre-registration
is required by November 22, and space is limited. To register, please visit www.marineadvisory.org/workshops.
For questions, contact Julie Matweyou, Alaska Sea Grant Marine Advisory Program in
Kodiak,julie.matweyou@alaska.edu or 907-486-1514 or toll-free at 888-788-6333.
MAP began the refrigeration training partnership to fill the need for hands-on training
for fishermen seeking to better maintain their equipment and do basic troubleshooting
while at sea. Workshops are always full. In 2010, 50 skippers and crew took the eight-hour
course. In post-workshop evaluations, participants gave the training high marks.
Said one Petersburg fisherman, “I’ve been fishing for over 35 years, and this class
has finally given me the answers I need to run and troubleshoot one of the most important
and mysterious pieces of equipment on my boat.”
For more information contact the Alaska Sea Grant College Program at 474-7086 or seagrant@uaf.edu.