The Nodosa shipyard at Marín in Spain has delivered its latest newbuild for Falkland Islands company Consolidated Fisheries Ltd. The largest single investment ever made by with Falklands capital, the new vessel is designed to catch toothfish inside the islands’ EEZ.
The new CFL Hunter will catch the entire 1040 tonne quota in Falklands waters. The fishery is MSC certified and carefully regulated, with the deep-frozen H&G toothfish sold mainly to buyers in the USA.
According to CFL director Tom Blake, the process of designing a new vessel began some years ago and was subsequently put on ice, before being revived in 2014 when the decision was taken to build the new MDI-designed longliner at Nodosa.
The 59.50 metre LOA, 12.50 metre beam longliner has diesel-electric propulsion with four Yanmars delivering power to two electric motors, and CFL Hunter has been designed for silent, efficient running. A great deal of effort has gone into achieving a low acoustic profile to avoid attracting whales that are a significant problem in toothfish fisheries.
CFL Hunter’s engines, pumps and other equipment have been painstakingly insulated to minimise sound carried into the water that can be a dinner bell for the whales that will strip the fish from the lines as it is hauled.
CFL Hunter sails with a crew of 40, plus it is expected to carry two observers while fishing. The new vessel still has to undergo tests and crew training in Spain before leaving for the long delivery trip to Stanley, and skipper Jose Manuel Sanchez expects to start fishing in April.
Look out for the full report on CFL Hunter next week.
