Fish Products News

Shipbuilder VARD announced it has secured a new contract for the design and construction of one stern trawler for Deutsche Fischfang-Union GmbH & Co. KG in Germany. The contract value  is in excess of  NOK 500 million.The stern trawler has been developed by VARD in close cooperation with Deutche Fischfang-Union (DFFU). The new vessel will be the first trawler of VARD’s own design sold to Germany.The VARD 8 03 trawler design is developed to meet the latest demands for fish health management, efficiency, and environmentally friendly operations.

"The introduction of invasive aquatic organisms into new marine environments not only affects biodiversity and ecosystem health, but also has measurable impacts on a number of economic sectors" said Lilia Khodjet El Khil, head of the International Maritime Organization (IMO)-led GloFouling Partnerships project.The GEF-UNDP-IMO GloFouling Partnerships project has concluded two workshops, one in Madagascar and one in Mauritius (19-21 August), two of 12 lead partnering countries whose aim is to protect marine biodiversity by addressing biofouling.During the first workshop, held in Antananarivo, Madagascar, Captain Jean Edmond Randrianantenaina, added that "these invasive species can also pose a threat to public health through consumption of fish products".

JSSC Klaipedos Smelte in the Port of Klaipeda, Lithuania, has placed a large repeat order with Konecranes for ten Rubber Tired Gantry (RTG) cranes and two Ship-to-Shore (STS) cranes.The delivery of the RTG cranes will be completed in November 2019 and the STS cranes in December 2019. The parties have agreed not to disclose the value of the order.In August 2018 Konecranes signed a contract with JSSC Klaipedos Smelte in the Port of Klaipeda, Lithuania, for the supply of ten Konecranes RTG cranes and two Konecranes STS cranes.JSSC Klaipedos Smelte already operates seven Konecranes RTGs and three Konecranes STSs, and they are very pleased with the high productivity and reliability of the cranes.

West African countries have detained eight Chinese ships for fishing illegally and the boats' owners could be subject to millions of dollars in fines, environmental group Greenpeace and government officials said. Inspectors from Guinea, Sierra Leone and Guinea-Bissau boarded the ships off their coasts which they found to be violating regulations on catching protected fish and using nets with small holes to facilitate bigger hauls. The arrests came after a two-month regional patrol on a Greenpeace ship, the Esperanza which carried inspectors from the West African countries, in a bid to supplement national efforts, which are often hamstrung by budget and technology constraints.

SCA’s Matt Paxton weighs in on the state of domestic shipbuilding – workboat building & everything in between. As President of the Shipbuilders Council of America, the national trade association representing the U.S. shipyard industrial base, we are constantly evaluating the status of the nation’s commercial vessel building and repair base. American shipyards continue to build to the highest standards for diverse range of customers. These vessels built by American workers go on to serve an integral part to our national economic well-being and basic security responsibilities.

BMT Surveys (BMT), a subsidiary of BMT Group, the international maritime design, engineering and risk management consultancy, has been engaged by Friend of the Sea to investigate whether specialized reefer vessels comply with the broad set of requirements to qualify for certification. A nonprofit and nongovernmental organization (NGO), the primary goal of Friend of the Sea is protection and conservation of a sound, sustainable and eco-friendly marine habitat in the oceans of the world. To help deliver its mission, the NGO introduced a certification project, the Friend of the Sea eco-label, for companies that demonstrably operate sustainably and eco-friendly in the worldwide fishing sector including cargo vessels.

FSV Group, the Norwegian operator of specialised vehicles for maritime operations, has taken delivery of a customised 41-metre Damen barge which will provide a range of services to the Norwegian aquaculture industry. This sector is currently expanding strongly as demand for farmed fish products continues to grow. Measuring 41 by 13 metres, the barge has undergone a number of modifications at a local yard since its arrival in Norway. These have included the installation of a ballast system and the addition of an accommodation block for up to four people plus two deck cranes. Further alterations are currently being made. Delivery took place around six weeks after the contract was finalised, with the basic barge already in stock.

Siemens SISHIP LV drives and SINAMICS components to power customer’s environmentally friendly, next-generation fishing vessel, saving up to 30% in annual fuel and maintenance costs. Based in Seattle, Blue North Fisheries (BNF) operates five fishing boats called “freezer long liners” in the Bering Sea and Gulf of Alaska and one smaller seiner in Alaska, Washington and Oregon. BNF’s largest vessel is 180-feet long with a crew of 23, while its smaller seiner is 58-feet long with a crew of six. Established in 1983, BNF has grown to approximately 150 employees.

Alternative to Diesel Strengthens as Barriers Continue to Fall. From the earliest days of mechanically propelled ships, fuel use has been evolving. Starting with wood, fuel changed to coal, which held sway for many years. Oil began to be used in the late nineteenth century and was clearly the dominate marine fuel of the twentieth century. Environmental shortcomings of fuel oil, particularly traditional heavy bunkers, were brought under increasing scrutiny as the twentieth century came to a close.

Port of Houston Authority Chairman Jim Edmonds, the PHA commissioners and staff on Wednesday, March 2, hosted a welcome reception for His Majesty King Harald V of Norway aboard the M/V Star Gazer as the vessel toured the Houston Ship Channel. The reception also was attended by several shipping industry executives and local elected officials. As he congratulated Norway on the centennial celebration of its independence, PHA's Chairman Edmonds noted that Norway has an enviable reputation in maritime shipping. "Even here on the Houston Ship Channel, Norwegian names are everywhere conducting business, such as Stolt-Nielsen, Odfjell, Aker Marine, Barwil Agencies, Skaugen and many others," Edmonds said.

The Standard has reported that the International Maritime Organization (IMO) secretariat has drafted a resolution to tackle piracy along the Somali coastline. The resolution to fight sea pirates, who pose a threat to shipping in the Indian Ocean will be tabled at the IMO bi-annual council meeting next Monday in London. Kenya will lead a delegation to the meeting where it will submit its concerns over the attacks off the Somali coast, which threaten to mar cruise tourism in the region. In the Kenyan delegation are Transport PS Dr Gerishon Ikiara and Kenya Ports Authority managing director, Brown Ondego. KPA Chief Operations Manager, Captain Twalib Khamis, said the attacks were a major concern to the country.

When trawler Cape Horn left Bellingham Bay Shipyard in Washington for the January 20, 1999 trawl opening in the Bering Sea fishing grounds, she carried nearly 400 gallons of fresh paint on the outside and a pair of new Cummins KTA38 main engines inside her hull. Replacing a pair of 900-hp, 16-cylinder two-cycle engines, the new 12-cylinder engines are rated at 1,000 hp. While these particular engines can deliver 1,200 hp, the owners, a Danish consortium, were able to keep the original Twin Disc 540 gears with their 7:1 ratio by having the engines derated. Although an adapter was available to fit the gear housing to the new engines, they opted to reduce torsional vibration by installing Centraflex flexible couplings. New 29-ft. by seven-in.

When trawler Cape Horn left Bellingham Bay Shipyard in Washington for the January 20, 1999 trawl opening in the Bering Sea fishing grounds, she carried nearly 400 gallons of fresh paint on the outside and a pair of new Cummins KTA38 main engines inside her hull. Replacing a pair of 900-hp, 16-cylinder two-cycle engines, the new 12-cylinder engines are rated at 1,000 hp. While these particular engines can deliver 1,200 hp, the owners, a Danish consortium, were able to keep the original Twin Disc 540 gears with their 7:1 ratio by having the engines derated. Although an adapter was available to fit the gear housing to the new engines, they opted to reduce torsional vibration by installing Centraflex flexible couplings. New 29-ft. by seven-in.