Fishing support vessel

A fishing support vessel works a fishing fleet rather than catching fish itself, acting as a mothership that resupplies, refuels, and offloads the catch from smaller boats at sea so they stay on the grounds longer. Larger support ships add freezing, processing, and storage holds, taking transshipped catch from purse seiners or trawlers and carrying it to port while the catchers keep fishing. Some serve as accommodation and bunkering bases for distant-water fleets. The role overlaps with the reefer carrier and the factory ship, the distinction being that the support vessel services other boats rather than fishing on its own gear.