The Taiwan Fisheries Research Institute (FRI) has awarded a contract to Singapore shipbuilder Vallianz Holdings for the design and construction of three new research vessels.
The contract covers two 27-metre vessels and one 60-metre vessel. Design work will be provided by Singapore-based naval architects Khiam Chuan Marine while construction will take place at the Batam facilities of Vallianz's wholly-owned subsidiary United Sindo Perkasa (USP).
The 27-metre vessels are scheduled to be delivered in the fourth quarter of 2023. One of these vessels will be utilised for fishery research and assessment of various species of fish, cephalopods, shrimps, and crabs in the waters of the Penghu Archipelago while the other vessel will be used to support investigation of migratory fishery resources in the eastern waters of Taiwan, such as the study of the migrations of tuna, swordfish, and sunfish.
The 60-metre research vessel is scheduled for delivery during the second half of 2024. It will be deployed to carry out research on the resources and ecology of migratory fish, benthic fish, and marine invertebrates as well as the monitoring of the ocean environment in the waters around Taiwan.
