Time flies, they say, when you're having fun: we're back to fishing and aquaculture already. That is fortunate because so much is happening in the sector at present. After more than two decades of being "dullsville", the fishing and aquaculture sector is now seeing very frequent exciting developments.
Much money is being invested and that is encouraging the building of many new and innovative fishing and aquaculture support boats, both large and small. New technology comes to light almost weekly and people are being employed, especially in coastal communities. I'm not claiming a boom, but we are certainly seeing more activity than we have since about 1990. This week's focus is particularly interesting.
Indeed, as you will note from the accompanying review of the large pelagic trawler Barents Sea, Russian shipyard Vyborg is building a series of the largest trawlers launched since Soviet days. While these 86 metres LOA ships are certainly big, they are also of much higher quality and efficiency than their predecessors of the Soviet era.
Similarly, we haven't seen many large new tuna seiners for a very long time. Spain's tuna giant Albacora, though, is now renewing its fleet. A concrete sign of that is the delivery from Vigo yard Astilleros Armon, of the fast (20 knots) 96-metre Galerna Lau, to be reviewed here this week. She's a magnificent vessel that is warship-like in her hydraulics and electronics. In fact, her bridge is really more Cape Canaveral space launcher-like. Her refrigeration outfit is awesome.
The Norwegians, as they so often do, have come up with an innovative and very different new "pocket trawler", the 28.5- by 10.2-metre Taumar. Apart from her striking livery, this HFMV-designed and Fitjar-built vessel is full of new ideas in terms of both hull shape and fit-out. She will undoubtedly spawn many followers.
Returning to reality in terms of size, we have news of an interesting project on Kenya's Lake Victoria where ancient and highly polluting two-stroke outboard powered fishing boats are being replaced with Torqueedo electric outboard motors. With their solar charging units, these motors are being offered to local fishermen on an innovative rental basis.
Also practically, we have a burnt out, 44-year-old Gulf of Mexico shrimper gutted and re-built by Oregon's Fred Wahl Marine as an ultra-modern American west coast twin-rigged shrimp trawler. Dauntless shows some very original thought.
There's plenty more, with news, views, gear and reviews covering much of the world and most aspects of the wide and exciting fishing and aquaculture sector of our industry. There is much to learn and many ideas to be had for the benefit of everyone in the wider work boat world.
– "…it may be more appropriate to think of the boat as a butterfly out of a cocoon."
– by Alan Haig-Brown, marine writer and photographer
– "Each engine will have a propulsive power equivalent to that of a 7kW outboard motor."
"The ship transported more than 5,000 tonnes of fish products in 204 forty-foot reefer containers, and 66 containers with other cargoes. The voyage lasted for 26.85 days including 19.2 sea days and 7.66 port days. The ship covered 7,880.6 nautical miles with an average speed of 17.11 knots."
– by Vitaly Chernov, Editor-in-Chief, IAA PortNews
Remember to come back every day to see the latest news, opinion and vessel reviews!
Any news or views about the global commercial fishing and aquaculture industries? Send it through to editor@baird.com.au ASAP (between now and October 2), so we can add it to this current edition of Fishing and Aquaculture Week!
We are after:
Sign up here to be notified in advance about future Fishing and Aquaculture Weeks.
