Narva-Jõesuu: Project to raise sunken fishing trawler put on hold

The authorities of Narva-Jõesuu have put on hold the idea of raising a fishing trawler that sank off the coast 50 years ago. Last year, as part of the construction project for a sea mole, research was conducted on the remains of the fishing trawler STB-7200, which sank in 1971. According to the latest data, the cost of lifting the vessel could reach one million euros, prompting the resort town's government to pause the project.

"Yes, within the framework of the current mole project, we must not completely stop these actions but freeze them. The money we received for the mole project is not enough. And we cannot find half a million or 700,000 euros from the city budget to implement this project at the moment," said Narva-Jõesuu Mayor Maksim Ilyin.

Construction of the mole is almost complete, and its opening is scheduled for August 8. The city authorities do not rule out commemorating the memory of the deceased fishermen at the end of the mole, where the sunken ship lies just a few meters below the surface.

"We also plan and discuss the possibility of somehow marking the place where the ship sank, and of course, placing a memorial plaque or some small information there about the fact that a ship sank in this spot. There were casualties, missing persons, and this place will certainly not be forgotten," added Maksim Ilyin.

According to the research, the ship's hull is almost entirely covered with sand, which complicates any potential lifting operation. Such work might require the construction of a second, temporary mole. However, the authorities do not rule out returning to this idea in the future.