Working Conditions Aboard the Arm7

In a significant turn of events within the Dutch fishing industry, Willem Jan Visser from Wouterswoude has successfully acquired the shrimp trawler 'Emma-ZK-14' from Lammert Bolt, a seasoned fisherman from Zoutkamp. The 55-year-old Bolt, who has spent decades at sea, has decided to retire without a successor for his business, L.R. Bolt ZK14 BV. While considerations to wind down operations had been on his mind for some time, the serendipitous appearance of a buyer prompted a swift agreement between the two. As of November 20, 2025, the newly acquired vessel has been rebranded in the Dutch Register of Fishing Vessels as 'Semper Fidelis-ZK 16' under Visser's company, Visserijbedrijf zk 23. The trawler, constructed in 2002, boasts a younger profile compared to Visser's current vessel, 'Semper Fidelis-ZK 23', and features a relatively new 300 hp Scania engine, installed in 2023. In addition to this acquisition, Visser's older vessel, the 'Semper Fidelis', built back in 1963, is slated for decommissioning at Hoeben RDM in Kampen, pending finalization of necessary paperwork. This facility is set to dismantle at least 40 shrimp trawlers as part of the Shrimp Fishery Restructuring Scheme, which aims to streamline operations within the industry. Fishermen interested in registering their vessels can do so with the Netherlands Enterprise Agency (RVO) until February 2, 2026, to be eligible for subsidies. Furthermore, two substantial beam trawlers, the 'Jan Senior-ARM-7' and 'Neeltje Jannetje-ARM-44', both owned by Siereveld from Arnemuiden, are also expected to join the list of vessels marked for scrapping. This move is part of a broader initiative to rejuvenate and modernize the Dutch fishing fleet.

In a notable ruling, the Amsterdam Court of Appeal has delivered a six-month suspended prison sentence to skipper J.S. of the 'Jan Senior - ARM 7', owned by Grietje BV based in Arnemuiden. This decision stems from J.S.'s guilty verdict for conducting illegal cod fishing using prohibited equipment, which posed risks to inspectors from the Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority (NVWA) during a sea inspection in 2017. Along with the suspended sentence, the court mandated an unconditioned community service order of 240 hours, underscoring the severity of the offenses committed by the skipper.

The captain of the fishing vessel 'Jan Senior - ARM 7' is still behind bars, while all seven crew members have been released. The group was initially detained on August 29 in Flushing on serious accusations, including the attempted assault against fishery inspectors from the Dutch Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority (NVWA). They also allegedly threatened three fishery inspectors and two employees from Rijksreederij, reportedly endangering them by attempting to overtake their rubber boat. A court ruling on September 1 determined that the skipper would remain in custody for an additional fourteen days, as investigations continue.

On August 29, 2017, the crew of the trawler 'Jan Senior - ARM-7' found themselves in a precarious situation as eight of its members were apprehended in Flushing. The arrests were necessitated due to the alarming risk they posed to fish inspectors from the Dutch Food and Welfare Authority (NVWA), as well as employees of the Rijksreederij. In a joint operation, the NVWA and the Coast Guard escorted the vessel to the port, where local police subsequently detained the crew and transported them to a nearby police station. The 'Jan Senior' was reportedly using illegal fishing practices, specifically employing inner pits—nets featuring mesh sizes prohibited by regulations—suspended within legal nets. The incident escalated during the late hours when three inspectors attempted to board the trawler with a rubber boat. Ignoring their instructions, the crew of the 'Jan Senior' abruptly began to retrieve their nets, perilously entangling the inspectors' vessel and causing it to nearly submerge. As the NVWA inspectors managed to board the trawler, they successfully halted the vessel's operations. However, before the inspectors could act, the skipper made an attempt to dispose of the illegal catch by discarding the seized nets and fish into the sea. The NVWA has since documented the series of fisheries violations, ensuring that the transgressions do not go unpunished.