The first of two new tuna purse seiners for Omani company Al Wusta Fishery Industries has been delivered by Zamakona Shipyards in Spain.
Designed by Cintranaval, Acila is an 84.70-metre tuna purse seiner with an 1800 cubic metre well capacity, designed to freeze catches to -20°C. The project is backed by Oman’s sovereign wealth fund and the new Acila will operate in the Indian Ocean.
Acila and its partner vessel, currently under construction, are expected to catch around 20,000 tonnes of tuna annually, enabling the Sultanate of Oman to take a greater share of activity in fisheries in international waters.
The main engine is a 4646kW Wartsila 8L32, powering a Reintjes-Berg controllable pitch propeller, and Acila has a pair of GuascorEnergy 1250kVa SF480TA-SG auxiliary engines, plus the skiff is powered by an 1120hp GuascorEnergy SF360-SP engine with a 6:1 reduction gearbox.
Fisheries are being built up by Oman, which sees the sector as being second only to oil as a source of revenue. The state-owned Al Wusta Fishery Industries is already active in other fisheries sectors and operates a number of factory vessels fishing for small pelagics.
The project to develop tuna fisheries with the new purse seine vessels is part of the Omani Ministry of Fisheries’ strategic Vision 2040 plan to develop the fisheries sector as a whole, aiming to increase fisheries production to supply both domestic and export markets.
