When Nico Bacon started Viking Fishing in 1980 he was the company's sole employee. His car was his office and he would go to sea for ten days each month on the 42m trawler, Benguela Viking.

"The Benguela Viking couldn't stay at sea for more than 10 days," recalls Bacon with a laugh. "Everything was leaking... so I'd do 10 days at sea with the crew, and then I'd have time to sell the fish". It was an extraordinary position for one of the most successful fishing managers in South Africa to be in, but Bacon had just fallen out with the management of I&J and had decided to go it alone.

"I started Viking Fishing with R30 000," explains Bacon. "I borrowed money and then I bought one boat. I started with the Benguela Viking and slowly built up a company."
When one listens to Bacon's life story, it's not surprising that he was able to build Viking Fishing into one of South Africa's premier fishing companies, active not only in the highly competitive deep-sea and inshore trawl fisheries, but also involved in the midwater and pelagic fisheries in South Africa and the prawn fishery in Mozambique.

With over 40 years of experience in the trawling industry, there are compelling reasons to listen to Bacon's advice. Through his career in the fishing industry, Bacon has played a leading role in the management of the industry.

Over the years he has served on the Fisheries Advisory Committees in both South Africa and Namibia as well as the South African Deep-Sea and Mid-Water Trawl Industry Associations.