DFFE seeks standby vessels for fisheries surveys
Contingency plans made to undertake surveys
SOUTH AFRICA: The Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment (DFFE) has taken the step to mitigate concerns relating to the ability of the FRV Africana to fulfil her survey obligations over the next five years.
A request issued by the Department seeks to identify stand-by chartered industry vessels to ensure that critical surveys are not interrupted in the event the FRV Africana become unavailable due to “unforeseen breakdowns”.
The DFFE is looking for vessels that are equipped with a ES38-B Simrad split beam transducer as well as a trawl monitoring system for observations at fishing depths of between 10 and 200 m. Other requirements include the need to accommodate at least 12 scientists and the ability to carry sufficient supplies to stay at sea for at least 14 consecutive days.
As part of the envisaged charter agreement, the service provider will undertake all operational duties associated with running and maintaining the vessel including manning as well as provide meals and linen to the scientists on board.
A total of 21 surveys are due to be conducted between October of this year and December 2028 when the charter agreement is will end. These include pelagic biomass surveys, pelagic recruit surveys, west coast demersal surveys and south coast demersal surveys.
These are essential to the setting of Total Allowable Catches (TAC) in the small pelagic fisheries and the demersal surveys are a crucial source of data for the assessment and management of South Africa's demersal fish resources.
Now 41 years old, the FRV Africana has long been earmarked for replacement and spent a number of years alongside before returning to service in 2016 following a significant maintenance programme that included the upgrade of the propulsion system.
In 2021, the South African Maritime Safety Authority, which manages the DFFE fleet of vessels under the Special Projects vehicle, awarded the tender to remove obsolete engines and commission three new engines to Cummins South Africa.
Prior to falling under SAMSA Special Projects, the DFFE fleet was first handed over to the South African Navy in 2012. At this time the Department anticipated that the Africana would be replaced within five years and that a project study would be undertaken to formalise the costing and budget of such an acquisition.
The project to replace the research vessel would certainly be welcomed by the local ship building sector as all vessels procured by the State are designated to be built in South Africa – one of the positive outcomes of Operational Phakisa.
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