SAPMER, a deep-sea fishing operator based in Reunion Island, has ordered two new deep freeze tuna purse seiners.
The company fishes for lobster and toothfish in the Economic Zone of the French Southern and Antarctic Lands and tuna also fishes for yellowfin and skipjack tuna in the Indian Ocean.
The company’s tuna purse fleet is currently made of three deep freeze tuna purse seiners that were acquired in 2009 and 2010. As of summer 2012, SAPMER will have acquired two new ships of the same design.
The first purse seiner will be named Dolomieu. Built in Vietnam by Seas Shipyards (Vietnamese subsidiary of Piriou), it is due to be delivered on 30 March. After a naming ceremony in Vietnam, it will sail to Reunion Island, where it is expected to arrive at the end of April to complete its crew and prepare its first fishing campaign.
The delivery of the second tuna purse seiner is scheduled for around 30 August.
These two ships, handled by a crew of 33 sailors, will sail under French flag and will be registered in Reunion Island.
The two new tuna purse seiners, sister-ships of the first three, are built to the same design, and will be destined for top quality production, thanks to a new technique that allows -40°C/F deep-freeze onboard for Sashimi quality tuna.
