The Zamakona Shipyard has contracted to deliver a new tuna purse seiner to Bermeo company Echebastar, increasing the size of its distant water freezer purse seiner fleet to six vessels.
Echebastar and Zamakona have already worked together in recent years to build purse seiners Euskadi Alai, Jai Alai, Izaro, Alakrana and Elai Alai.
The agreement to build the new Campolibre Alai was signed by Zamakona’s president Pedro Garaygordóbil and Echebastar CEO Kepa Etxebarria.
The new seiner will feature the innovative technology that has already gone into the company’s fleet of advanced new purse seiners, including capacity to freeze to -60°C to provide outstanding quality products for the most demanding markets, as well as conventional freezing wells for tuna destined for the canning sector.
Campolibre Alai will also have safe zones and anti-piracy systems on board.
Echebastar has spearheaded initiatives to operate along ethical and environmentally responsible lines, using an innovative system of handling catches that allows non-target species to be returned to the water as fast as possible. The company embarked in 2013 on an MSC assessment of its Indian Ocean skipjack, yellowfin and bigeye tuna fishery, resulting in the fishery not being certified at the conclusion of the process. Echebastar’s Indian Ocean skipjack fishery is currently under assessment using a revised MSC assessment process.
Campolibre Alai will be newbuild no. 745 for the yard at Santurce near Blibao in the north of Spain.
