Norwegian wellboat operator Napier has signed a contract with the Freire shipyard in Vigo for the next addition to its fleet.
New harvest vessel Tauriko is designed to significantly bring down the cost per kilo of delivering slaughtered salmon on a large scale.
At almost 85 metres, Tauriko will become the largest in the Napier fleet and bringing the company’s fleet up to seven vessels. The company expects to take on around 30 new staff as this new vessel comes into service.
It will have capacity to load and bleed 200 tonnes of salmon per hour and to hold up to 750 tonnes in its RSW tanks. Achieving a top service speed of 18 knots is also part of the design brief, enabling cargos to be delivered fast. It will be outfitted with a new unloading system, predicted to substantially reduce unloading and cleaning time.
Tauriko’s design is based largely on the recently delivered Tauroa and the soon to be delivered Tautiki.
Employing harvest vessels of this kind is seen as providing a higher level of fish welfare, as well as greater biosecurity compared to traditional transport methods.
With fish stunned and bled out immediately on board, handling, transport stress and transport mortality are eliminated as the vessel operates as a self-contained unit, with zero water exchange or blood contact with the sea. Separate loading and unloading systems prevent any contact between slaughter fish and live fish remaining at the sea farms.
‘To handle the fish on board, Tauriko will be equipped with the best available technology, delivered by our trusted partners MMC, Baader, and Optimar. The deep expertise of our employees and their familiarity with these systems, combined with our ability to implement step-by-step continuous improvements, have yet again contributed to important technological advancements in Napier’s harvest vessel concept,’ a Napier representative stated.
