VESSEL REVIEW | Acila – Omani tuna seiner to operate in Indian Ocean

Fisheries Development Oman (FDO), via subsidiary Al Wusta Fisheries Industries (operating under the trade name Oman Pelagic), has taken delivery of a new tuna purse seining vessel designed for the sailing conditions prevalent in the Indian Ocean.

Acila was built by Spain's Zamakona Yards to a design by compatriot naval architecture firm Cintranaval-Defcar. The vessel has a length of 84.7 metres, a draught of seven metres, a gross tonnage of 2,480, a deadweight of 1,900, and a hold with capacity for 1,800 cubic metres of catch kept frozen at temperatures of around –20 degrees Celsius.

Propulsive power is provided by 4,646kW main engine driving a Reintjes-Berg controllable-pitch propeller. Two Guascor Energy SF480TA-SG auxiliary engines are also fitted. The propulsion arrangement was selected for its overall efficiency, which will allow the vessel to maximise the catch on each trip while limiting the environmental impact of its operations.

Acila and its still unfinished sister will operate in tandem in international waters in the Indian Ocean. The two vessels will have a projected total annual catch of tuna totalling approximately 20,000 tonnes.

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