Procraft Marine delivers Ulpu feeding vessel to Nordic Trout

Procraft Marine delivers new “Ulpu” feeding vessel to Nordic Trout for open-sea aquaculture

Uusikaupunki, Finland – Procraft Marine has successfully completed and delivered a new feeding and service vessel custom-engineered for demanding open-sea conditions to Nordic Trout. The vessel was officially christened “Ulpu” during a naming ceremony held in Kaskinen on June 9th.

The name is a tribute to Ulpu Hukkanen of Kalaneuvos. The Hukkanen family owns the Nordic Fish Group, whose story began more than 50 years ago when Ulpu and Veijo Hukkanen started smoking fish in their home backyard in Sastamala. The decision to name the vessel Ulpu was unanimous.

An investment in the future of domestic fish and open-sea farming

The new vessel represented an investment of approximately two million euros for Nordic Trout. It is part of the company’s larger, over five-million-euro commitment to open-sea aquaculture off the coast of Kaskinen. Since new farming licenses are practically no longer granted in the inner archipelago or near the coastline, the future and growth of the industry are moving out to the open sea.

However, conditions on the open sea are significantly more challenging than in the inner archipelago due to sharp, high waves and strong winds, which places extreme demands on the equipment used. The new vessel built by Procraft Marine is specifically designed to ensure that feeding and daily operations can be carried out safely, regardless of the weather.

Heavy-duty capacity and technical performance

Unlike traditional smaller utility boats, Ulpu connects directly to the feeding barge on the open sea and is capable of carrying substantially more feed than previous vessels. This additional capacity is critical, particularly toward the end of the growing season when the fish in the five open-sea pens consume up to 10,000 kilograms of feed per day.

The vessel is operated by a two-person crew working in shifts (a master/sea captain and a deckhand). The new equipment provides the crew with a safe and efficient working environment amidst long distances and harsh weather conditions.

“Open-sea aquaculture demands heavy-duty, ultra-reliable equipment. For us at Procraft Marine, delivering Ulpu was not just a traditional boat delivery; it was about providing a highly optimized tool to the front lines where the future of domestic fish farming is being built,” says Esa Aaltonen of Procraft Marine. “We are extremely proud of our partnership with Nordic Trout and honored to be part of this pioneering project.”

Ulpu has already entered active service in Kaskinen, securing the growth of independent fish production in Finland.