The Fisheries Research Institute held a steel cutting ceremony to start construction of a new 1,500-ton fishery research vessel at PT United Sindo Perkasa Shipyard in Batam, Indonesia at 10:00 a.m. on August 31. Director Chun-Ru Chen and his colleagues attended the ceremony via video conference. The Fisheries Research Institute started construction of a heavyweight fishery research vessel with ocean-going exploration capabilities after completing the keel placement of two 100-ton research vessels on June 30, 2022. This symbolizes a new peak in Taiwan's fisheries sustainability testing infrastructure.
The Fisheries Research Institute indicated that three new research vessels will be built under the “Medium and Long-Term Plan to Build a Sustainable Fisheries Resource and Upgrade the Research Base for Climate Change” project approved by Executive Yuan. The vessels include one 1,500-ton and two 100-ton vessels. The three research vessels will be built by PT United Sindo Perkasa Shipyard in Batam, Indonesia—a subsidiary of Vallianz Holdings, Singapore. The 1500-ton fishery research vessel is expected to be delivered and in operation in 2024.
The Fisheries Research Institute stated that it has been equipped with a total of 18 research vessels, from the first vessel, Ling Hai Wan (under the Bureau of Colonial Production, Ministry of Civil Affairs, Taiwan Governor-General’s Office and was launched in 1910), to the youngest vessel, the Fisheries Researcher 2, which was completed and launched in 2011. These research vessels have inherited a century of fisheries research and testing. Among the vessels, the Hai Kung has made four trips to Antarctic waters and successfully caught a large number of Antarctic shrimps using the mid-surface trawl designed by the institute. Due to this event, Taiwan, after Russia and Japan, has now become the third country in the world to successfully harvest Antarctic shrimp, which are widely known and praised by the citizens of Taiwan.
The new 1,500-ton research vessel will be deployed at the Marine Fisheries Group on Keelung’s Heping Island to replace the currently largest 1,948-ton research vessel, Fishery Researcher 1, (29 years old) in the Fisheries Research Institute. The new research vessel will take over the investigation mission of Fishery Researcher 1. Moreover, it will investigate the impact of climate change and human activities on the fishery environment and fishery resources, on national food security and fishermen’s livelihoods, as well as the impact of offshore wind farm construction on marine fishery in recent years. Furthermore, it will cooperate with domestic and foreign marine research institutions to conduct studies.
According to the Fisheries Research Institute, the new vessel will be equipped with advanced technology and have a range of 7,200 nautical miles. It will be capable of ocean voyages and have a maximum capacity of 44 people and will utilize an electric propulsion system to effectively reduce carbon emissions and air pollution. The new research vessel will not only continue the foundation laid by its predecessors but also improve the capability of conducting research. Additionally, it will contribute to the sustainable development of Taiwan's fisheries and the advancement of basic research on coping with climate change.
Photo 1. Video conference with the Fisheries Research Institute during the steel cutting ceremony
Photo 2. The representative of the shipyard signed the commencement document with two classification societies (the Classification Society and the American Bureau of Shipping)
Photo 3. Shipyard Representative and Shipowner Representative (Supervising Engineer) Pressed the Button to Start the Cutting Ceremony
Photo 4. Beginning to Cut the Research vessel on the Cutting Platform