German fisheries research ship completed
Clupea is seen alongside prior to delivery.
Germany’s newest fisheries research ship, the 28.8m LOA Clupea, is being delivered this month. In an unusual development, it's to operate alongside its predecessor for a while to compare catch capacities.
The €11.7m ship was launched and named at the Fassmer Shipyard in mid-September after a building time of 14 months. Earlier reports had spoken of delivery as early as August and the reason for the apparent delay was not known.
Michael Welling, a spokesman for the Johann Heinrich von Thünen Institute (vTI) told MJ that following delivery Clupea would fish jointly for awhile with its nearly 60 year old, 17m predecessor of the same name. The old Clupea was built in 1949 and operated in the former GDR
“Comparison operation with the old and the new Clupea fishing in parallel will start immediately after delivery to compare fish catching capabilities”, Mr Welling said.
The vTI, created just three years ago, is one of four German federal research institutes under the auspices of the new ship’s manager, the German Government’s Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Consumer Protection (BMELV).
Capable of five day independent cruises, the new ship will see service on nearly 300 days of the year in German coastal waters around its home port of Rostock, providing information about fish stocks and marine ecology. The newbuild will also test new environmentally friendly fish catching techniques.
The 250 gt steel hulled ship, with marine aluminium superstructure, is 7.7m wide and draws a low 2.3m maximum, which is even less than the 2.42m of her much smaller predecessor. Propulsion is provided by a Guascor F240TAB-SP main engine of 478 kW at 1,800 rpm, developing a maximum speed of 11 knots. Clupea also boasts a 10 kN bow thruster. The vessel carries a crew of five and has two laboratories plus accommodation for four science personnel.
By Tom Todd
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