Ministry Of Fisheries News

Assessing the health of coral reefs in the Kingdom of TongaHealthy coral reefs provide critical ecosystem services for millions of people globally, but with climate change and anthropogenic stressors, the landscape of these habitats is regularly shifting. The science and conservation community has realized the importance of baseline studies to help track how these precious reef ecosystems are changing. The Khaled bin Sultan Living Oceans Foundation launched the Global Reef Expedition…

U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) Ghana’s Acting Deputy Mission Director, Janean Davis said that United States is taking steps to improve fisheries in Ghana.Ms. Janean Davis, told the attendees in a conference in Ghana that “Together, we can help put in place the necessary structures and processes to consolidate the gains we’ve made in the fisheries sector over the past five years.”The Ministry of Fisheries and Aquaculture Development and the Fisheries Commission with support from the United States Government, through the USAID,  organized a three-day conference, from August 19-21, 2019, in Accra to highlight and discuss successes…

The Namibian Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources (MFMR) compliance officials and Sea Shepherd, onboard the Ocean Warrior, have jointly carried out successful surveillance activities in Namibia`s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), effectively causing illegal factory trawlers to abandon the Skeleton Coast.The main objective of these joint patrols was to tackle Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) fishing in Namibian waters. These initiatives assisted the MFMR and other Namibian law enforcement agencies to force illegal and foreign industrial factory trawlers out of the Namibian EEZ suspected to have targeted horse mackerel stocks through IUU activities.Large foreign industrial factory trawlers – former Soviet Union made trawlers -  have been ‘border hopping`…

Four magnificent tall ships  will come to Hamburg for the 830th Hamburg Port Anniversary from 10 to 12 May – Alexander von Humboldt II, Kruzenshtern, Sedov and Mir.The Queens of the oceans will participate in the grand arrival and departure parades in the heart of the city, on the Friday and Sunday respectively, and invite visitors to look around on board, said a press release from Germany's largest port.Alongside these amazing tall ships, the Hamburg Port Anniversary will be a meeting place for some 300 vessels of all kinds, including many classic sailing vessels that will also be open to visitors.The Alexander von Humboldt II is currently Germany’s largest operational sail training ship, with length overall 66 metres.

Ships and ports will need to be able to exchange arrival and departure data electronically from April 2019, under International Maritime Organization (IMO)'s Facilitation Convention said a press note.There requirements also encourage the use of a single window in which all the many agencies and authorities involved exchange data via a single point of contact. Training in the treaty requirements took place during national seminars in Malabo, Equatorial Guinea (13-15 November) and in Nouakchott, Mauritania (20-22 November). The seminars highlighted the objectives of the Facilitation of International Maritime Traffic (FAL) Convention: to promote public authorities to process their clearance procedures effectively and efficiently…

Damen Shipyards Galati has made provisional delivery of the 74-meter fishery research vessel Baía Farta to the Angolan Ministry of Fisheries. The vessel will remain in Galati until November, when she will set sail for Angola where the final delivery will take place.With a 1,600 km Atlantic coastline, the development of the domestic fishing industry is a priority of the Angolan government and it currently employs over 100,000 people in both commercial and artisanal fishing.The Baía Farta…

On November 9, Damen Shipyards Galati launched Baía Farta, a new Fishery Research Vessel (FRV) 7417 for the Angolan Ministry of Fisheries. The vessel's sponsor was Dra. Isabel Cristóvão, director of Gabinete de Estudos, Planeamento e Estatística. The FRV 7417 is suited to various purposes, including hydrographic operations, acoustics research, pelagic and demersal trawling, plankton, water, environmental and geographical sampling, oil recovery and emergency towing operations.

exactEarth Ltd. has been selected by the Fisheries Commission (West Africa Regional Fisheries Programme), an agency of the Ministry of Fisheries and Aquaculture Development (MOFAD) of the Government of Ghana, for the provision of Satellite AIS data services as well as a small vessel tracking solution. The contract value is in a range of $1.0-$2.0 million for a 12 month period and will enable Ghana to acquire the technology necessary to monitor its expansive coastlines and deter illegal fishing in its national waters. Along with a comprehensive Satellite AIS data feed, exactEarth will provide MOFAD with 450 Class B AIS transceivers to be installed on inshore fishing vessels which will be tracked via satellite utilising exactEarth’s exactTrax small vessel tracking technology.

The Damen Shipyards Group has received an order for a state-of-the-art, 74 m Fishery Research Vessel from the Angolan Ministry of Fisheries. This special vessel, which has Silent-A/F/R Class notation and features a basic design from Skipsteknisk. The Angolan Ministry of Fisheries has been a customer for many years and previously Damen delivered two 62 m Fishery Inspection Surveillance Vessels 6210 and a smaller Fishery Research Vessel (FRV 2808). This vessel represents the cutting edge of its type and Damen is confident that it will help develop and preserve the important Angolan fishing economy. Hein van Ameijden, Managing Director of Damen Schelde Naval Shipbuilding, commented that the yard’s vast naval building expertise can also be applied to this innovative research ship.

Somali officials say foreign ships plundering fish stocks; Somali piracy greatly reduced due to security measures. A rise in illegal fishing off Somalia could spark a resurgence in piracy, United Nations and Somali fishing officials have warned, nearly three years after the pirates' last successful hijacking in the Indian Ocean. The last outbreak of Somali piracy cost the world's shipping industry billions of dollars as pirates paralysed shipping lanes, kidnapped hundreds of seafarers and seized vessels more than 1,000 miles from Somalia's coastline. Since then, growing use of private security details and the presence of international warships have effectively neutered the pirates.

The Ghana Armed Forces and the United States Maritime Forces have completed a joint maritime operation, the Africa Maritime Law Enforcement Partnership (AMLEP), as part of the Africa Partnerships Program (APS). The operation brought together representatives from Ghana’s Ministry of Fisheries and Aquaculture Development, the Marine Police Unit of the Ghana Police Service, Ghana Navy, the U.S. Navy and U.S. Coastguard on Spearhead, the U.S. Navy’s first Joint High Speed Vessel (JHSV). The operation succeeded in detecting three vessels that were violating Ghanaian maritime law and cited the violators for follow-on judicial action. A statement issued by the US Embassy…

The STX Turku Shipyard in Finland recently lost the order for a third Oasis class cruise ship and an option for a fourth to ”sister” shipyard STX France, when neither the owner, the financially troubled STX Group, nor the Finnish government wanted to inject a missing $64.3m to the capital of the shipyard. The yard is currently building two 97,000gt cruise ships for TUI Cruises. In January the shipyard delivered the world’s first LNG-fuelled big size passenger-car ferry, the Viking Grace for Baltic ferry operator Viking Line.

Rapp Hydema has been supplying deck machinery to research vessels since 1977, but this global market recently became especially significant for the group. In 2002, in what would be a watershed project, Rapp Hydema was chosen to outfit the NOAA Fishery Survey Vessel (FSV) Oscar Dyson class of vessels. The first four ships in the class were being constructed at VT Halter Marine Shipyard. “That NOAA research vessel contract provided us with excellent exposure,” said Johann Sigurjonsson, President of Rapp Hydema U.S.

The NB 1378, RV Mirabilis, equipped with DPS, is a  62.4 metres long and 14.3 metres wide versatile vessel. The tasks of the ship will include monitoring of fish stock, as well as sorting, processing, freezing and storage of fish, as well as collecting biological samples from the seabed and water quality research and analysis. Other tasks envisaged are the control of fishing off the African coast, and meteorologica research. RV Mirablis is provided with accommodation for 44 crew members and research personnel. “We are very satisfied to deliver the RV Mirabilis to the customer on schedule and as agreed. Cooperation both at the national level and between the project groups has been extremely good and close through the whole process," says Toivo Ilvonen, Director of STX Rauma Shipyard.

STX Finland's Rauma Shipyard celebrated the launch of the special purpose vessel ordered by the Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources of the Republic of Namibia. Representatives of the owner, classification society Bureau Veritas and STX Finland were present. Newbuilding No. 1378, RV Mirabilis, measures 62 meters in length and, upon completion, will operate as a research vessel, gathering information on fish stocks and their living environment. The versatile and modern research vessel meets the latest standardized performance criteria. Particular attention has been paid to the vessel's serviceability and low maintenance costs. The vessel provides accommodation for 44 crew members and research personnel.

Tideland Signal, an international specialist in aids to marine navigation, has won the contract to supply SolaMAX solar-powered marine lanterns to guide vessels safely through the reef and into the new fishing harbour of Dikkowita on the west coast of Sri Lanka, 10 km to the north of Colombo. The new harbour is designed and built by BAM International bv for Sri Lanka's Ministry of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Development under a €44 million contract funded in part by the Dutch government. Engineer on the project is Royal Haskoning.

Rapp Hydema has closed a major contract with STX Finland Oy Shipyard related to a new research vessel. The Namibian Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources selected STX Finland Oy to build new hull, No. 1378, which will undertake fishery survey missions. Distinctive for recent orders is an admixture of both electric and hydraulic machinery. Hydraulically-powered machinery includes the Rapp trawl winches. Also, a double net-drum is to be utilized for net storage, and Rapp is also providing a Gilson winch, as well as a Research/Sounder Winch. A Rapp anchor winch with two capstans is also to be provided, as well as two separate hydraulic power packs for the anchor/capstans package and the fishing winches.The trawl winches are to be controlled by a PTS Pentagon Cbus F system…

Metso has received an order for a Metso DNA automation system to a fisheries research vessel. The Fisheries Research Vessel is contracted at STX Finland Oy, Rauma shipyard, by the Namibian Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources. The vessel is 65m long with a beam of 14m. It is designed with special care about laboratory equipment, propulsion and power generating systems. High serviceability and low maintenance costs has got special attention. The vessel's task will include monitoring of fish stock, as well as sorting, processing, freezing and storage of fish.

STX Finland Oy and Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources of the Republic of Namibia have, on 11.2.2011, signed a contract for the construction of a fisheries research vessel. The ship, with a contract value of approximately EUR 35 million, will bring some 250 man-years of labour to STX Finland’s Rauma shipyard, with delivery scheduled for spring 2012. This versatile specialized vessel will be approximately 62 metres long and will provide accommodation for 45 crew members and research personnel. The research vessel is specifically designed for the purposes of Namibian fisheries research. The vessel meets the latest standards set for this type of vessels requiring, in particular, special care in the design of laboratory equipment, propulsion and power generation system.

The German navigation system supplier Raytheon Anschütz was recently awarded a contract for the delivery of an integrated bridge and navigation system for a Fisheries Research Vessel, newbuilding 1378 at STX Finland. The 62 meter long vessel is being built at STX Finland Rauma shipyard and will be owned by the Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources of the Republic of Namibia. STX Finland has again selected Raytheon Anschütz to deliver the integrated bridge and navigation system…

The German navigation system supplier Raytheon Anschütz was recently awarded a contract for the delivery of an integrated bridge and navigation system for a Fisheries Research Vessel, newbuilding 1378 at STX Finland. STX Finland has again selected Raytheon Anschütz to deliver the integrated bridge and navigation system, as well as the Dynamic Positioning System (DP) and a radio station according to GMDSS A3 for this advanced Fisheries Research Vessel. The 62 meter long vessel is being built at STX Finland Rauma shipyard and will be owned by the Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources of the Republic of Namibia. The new vessel will be equipped with two Radar and two ECDIS bridge workstations as well as with a Conning workstation for the navigation bridge…

On 25 August 2011 STX Finland Oy's Rauma Shipyard started the production of an innovative fisheries reseach vessel ordered by the Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources of the Republic of Namibia. NB 1378 will be delivered during the summer of 2012. The vessel will be approximately 62 mlong and give some 250 man-years of labour to the shipyard. The production start-up was attended by representatives of the Republic of Namibia, STX Finland Oy and classification society Bureau Veritas. The ship is a versatile and modern research vessel designed for Namibian fisheries research, and it meets the latest standardised performance criteria. Ensuring that the vessel meets these criteria requires careful design of the research systems, propulsion and power generation system.

STADT AS has a gained a foothold in both the offshore and fishing fleet with a new diesel electric propulsion system. The company is located in Gjerdsvika at the Northwest coast of Norway, and has patented a new solution based on Sinus-technology. “This is sustainable technology, and we are definitely on track,” says Hallvard Slettevoll, president of STADT AS. For more than seven years the company has worked to develop a diesel-electric propulsion system with the goal of reducing the load on the environment and improving the operating economy of ships.