Skip to main content

Fishery Research Vessel “Walther Herwig III”

The “Walther Herwig III” cruises in sea areas with deep offshore fishing (Baltic, North Sea, North Atlantic). Here pelagic and bottom trawl nets, biological sample trawl and plankton nets are used, as well as oceanographic sensors.

Put into service in 1993, the "Walther Herwig III" is our oldest ship. In the coming years it is to be replaced by a new vessel that meets all the requirements for modern, integrated observations of the marine ecosystem.

Link to the current position

Vessel typeStern trawler
Length overall63.18 m
Beam overall15.22 m
Draft (maximum)5.96 m
Main engine2900 kW
Speed (maximum)14.5 kn
Ship’s crew21 persons
Scientific crew12 persons
Laboratories7
ShipyardRolandwerft, Berne / Peenewerft, Wolgast
BuildDecember 1993
Home portBremerhaven
Call signDBFR
Cruise duration2 to 7 weeks
Cruise days per yearabout 280

Dr. h.c. Walther Herwig (1838-1912) was a Prussian magistrate; the father of German deep sea fishing and fish production; co-initiator of German and European internationally coordinated fishery research; co-founder and first president of the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea  (ICES) in Copenhagen in 1902.

Scroll to top