Well, I am confused, even if you aren't. Like many environmentally minded seafarers, I support our nuclear-free policy. But if our Green, chest-beating environmental brigade does not see common sense shortly, we will face crippling power costs and lost production, or the option of nuclear power stations. Apart from the odd bird strike and flooded basin, I have seen neither wind farms nor hydro lakes as a danger to public health, whereas the risk of a nuclear accident is a very real threat. But it doesn't stop there. The environmental sector is now focussing on our fisheries and aquaculture industries as they have latched on to the government's biodiversity strategy. Mussel farms are unhealthy for the environment, we are told. Our wild fisheries are under threat, and we need to create a plethora of marine reserves around our coast to save our fisheries. What a load of bollocks! They bring experts in from nations far afield who, granted, have experienced very poor fisheries management. And the environmentalists assume that all the doom and gloom is happening on our coast.

Granted that we haven't got it right, but the quota management system is working in most fisheries. It is accepted that the blowout in orange roughy and now hoki is the result of inconclusive research. But the industry is learning from these early mistakes, so much so that they have taken the responsible approach of raising the alarm. Closer to shore, wherever we are experiencing management problems of particular inshore species, the environmental sector is quick to point the finger at both the commercial and recreational fishing sectors as being the rapers and pillagers of their environment.

But is it just the legitimate extractive users who are causing the problem? What about the illegal catch. What about the environmental effect of urban runoff causing marine habitat degradation. And what about other extractive users of our fisheries. In issue 40 there was a short article entitled 'Recreational fishers wrongly blamed for seal plunder'. Interestingly, this article has raised the eyebrows and started tongues wagging in eco-friendly corners. In defence of the article, both the commercial and recreational sectors have been asking the Department of Conservation and environmental groups just what is the current status of the New Zealand fur seal population on our coastline. These numerous requests have been met with silence, indicating that no-one actually knows.

So I ask the question again, publicly. What is the current status of the New Zealand fur seal population on our coastline? Are these mammals growing in numbers, and do they still warrant endangered species classification? And why are we seeing fur seals venturing further north in greater numbers than ever before?

Where it was once rare and a bit of an attraction, to see the occasional seal, not too many years passed before we are now seeing large numbers hauling out in these new-found locations. Is the movement north because the seals are eating themselves out of house and home in our southern waters? Have their population numbers grown to such a level that it is forcing a migration north?

It would appear that DoC has little information to offer on what is currently happening. We do know from available research that a New Zealand fur seal needs to eat around 5kg of fish per day to maintain its body weight and good health. We also know that they are wasteful, and eat only the good bits.

My next question is, how can the Minister of Fisheries make an allowance for the seal's eating requirements of particular fish species in setting the Total Allowable Catch (TAC), when his colleague, the Minister of Conservation, has no idea how many fur seals should be allowed for? I believe that DoC is creating a travesty of justice, in that maybe the shortage of fish stocks in our southern waters is not being created by overfishing from the commercial or recreational sectors, but is the result of insufficient information and poor marine mammal management by DoC.

Keith Ingram, Editor
 

To Top

The face of the Royal New Zealand Navy will be transformed over the next few years as seven new vessels enter service for the Project Protector programme.

The $500 million project will see a 131m multi-role vessel, two 85m offshore patrol vessels and four inshore patrol vessels delivered from December 2006 by the Australian company Tenix Defence. They should significantly increase the government's ability to meet its military and civilian responsibilities within New Zealand's Exclusive Economic Zone, in the South Pacific and the Southern Ocean. The vessels are essentially commercial ships that will be lightly armed and painted grey. As well as fulfilling a military role, they will be used for sea-lifting personnel and cargo, emergency responses, fisheries and customs patrols. Each ship will have separate quarters for staff from other agencies for when they embark on operations. Both the MRV and the OPVs will be ice-strengthened so they can operate in the Southern Ocean and the Ross Sea. They will be able to carry Seasprite helicopters on board, which will enhance their ability to undertake maritime patrol tasks.

The inshore patrol vessels will be well employed in the waters around New Zealand's extensive coastline, which are as demanding as anywhere in the world. 'The four inshore patrol vessels and the two offshore patrol vessels will be much more visible to New Zealanders than our present ships,' says the Chief of Defence Force, Air Marshal Bruce Ferguson. 'They will be able to make many more port visits and will fill our national and regional responsibilities very effectively.'

He says that following the commissioning of the new Project Protector vessels, the Navy's ANZAC frigates, which have performed in multinational naval operations will be able to concentrate more on their primary war-fighting duties.

Tenix has subcontracted a Dutch company, Mervede, to build the multi-role vessel. The inshore patrol vessels will be built at its Whangarei shipyard, and the OPVs will largely be built at the Tenix shipyard in Williamstown, Melbourne, with some modules at Whangarei. It will buy equipment wherever it makes sense, either in New Zealand or Holland. A spokesman for Tenix says it does not have a definition of 'New Zealand local content', but it will be based around the same principles used in the Australian ANZAC programme. Products must meet their specifications and be supported throughout their life, and Tenix says it doesn't want companies to move away from their core business. The Defence Industry Association will help identify suppliers. A principle of commonality will apply across platforms where possible and throughout the RNZN fleet in order to reduce costs across the life of the vessels. This will apply to maintenance, training and even the choice of engines for propulsion and gensets.

The vessels will meet class certification, but these have not yet been defined. The Project Protector vessels will require a total of about 14 rigid inflatable sea boats to support ship-to-ship, recognisance and surveillance operations. The intention is to have the landing craft built at Whangarei, but this will depend on the delivery schedule and the ability of the site to manufacture them. The landing craft could be made of steel or alloy, depending on their cost and performance. The MRV will have two, possibly three craft, but there is no preferred composition for the RHIBs. If a commercial model fits the technical specifications then it can be applied, said a source at Tenix. It will be buying the RHIBs complete.

The workforce at Tenix's Whangarei shipyard will start growing from December, but it will take from 18 to 24 months to increase to its maximum size of between 120 and 150. It will be a mix of Tenix employees and contractors.

Inshore patrol vessels - IPV Completion 30, 34, 38 and 41 months after signing date Length overall 55m Maximum speed 25 knots Sea boats 2 x 7.4m Helicopter vertical transfer

The IPVs are based on a Tenix-designed search and rescue vessel in service with the Philippines Coast Guard. They are designed to meet New Zealand's unique seakeeping requirements and can patrol at the outer edge of the contiguous zone, ie 24 miles offshore. They can passage rough offshore coastal waters to inshore operating areas, and can maintain intercept speed in higher sea states than smaller craft. She can launch and recover the sea boat safely in sea state four, and can transfer government officers and Medevac teams by helicopter.

Offshore patrol vessels - OPV Completion 33 and 39 months after signing date Length overall 85m Speed 24 knots Sea boats 2 x 7.4m Helicopter-capable Stabilised 25mm gun The build strategy will follow the model set for the ANZAC frigates. The modules will be fabricated in Whangarei, with consolidation and launch at Tenix Williamstown in Australia. The 85m length meets unique New Zealand seakeeping requirements. They must be able to patrol and remain on station within the New Zealand EEZ, but they can operate outside New Zealand for up to 21 days. They can maintain an intercept speed in higher sea states than smaller craft, and can launch and recover the sea boats in sea state four. There is space to carry cargo for maritime counter-terrorism, with room for SAS RHIBs.

Multi-role vessel - MRV Completion 27 months after signing date Length overall 131m Maximum speed 19.8 knots Freight 33 sea containers, 331 lane metres Stabilised 25mm gun Sea boats 2 x 7.4m The MRV design is based on a commercial ro-ro ship in operation in the Irish Sea, says a spokesman for Tenix, Liam Bathgate. The MRV will accommodate a total of 360 personnel, including a core ship's company of 53, a flight of 10, four government agency officers, a permanent team of seven Army personnel, and up to 35 trainees and 250 embarked troops. The ro-ro vessel will be able to carry a New Zealand Army infantry company's light armoured vehicles and other equipment, and have the space to move Defence Force equipment for operations similar to the recent Solomon Islands and East Timor deployments. She will be fitted out so she can fulfil humanitarian and emergency responses involving multi-agency personnel and equipment in the South Pacific. She can be quickly reconfigured for a number of different roles, and she will be able to operate autonomously during disaster relief, transferring cargoes and personnel ashore when port facilities are not available. Her 131m length provides a large volume to meet cargo and personnel requirements, and her size means she has the flexibility to carry cranes, helicopters, landing craft and sea boats. She has an internal service lift and an emergency medical unit. Her ship-to-shore transfer system has to be flexible, so she is fitted with a stern ramp, a side door and helo capability. She needs to be in service quickly as HMNZS Canterbury is being decommissioned. She will be built at the Merwede shipyard in Holland because of cost competitiveness. It is an experienced shipyard for one-off and customised vessels, as there is nowhere in New Zealand to launch a vessel of this size, says Tenix. Final fitting out could be done in Whangarei, but if needed sooner the semi-completed ship may move to Melbourne. Fitting of the gun and landing craft will be done outside of Holland, and her RHIBs will be mounted.
 

To Top

Other options to protect Barrier Island Marine life on the eastern side of Great Barrier Island could be protected by legislation contained in various acts instead of setting up a marine reserve, the New Zealand Marine Transport Association said on September 16. It says the proposed 50,100ha reserve covers an important area for recreational and sustenance fishers, provides good protection for boaties during a sou'westerly, and is particularly valued by gamefishers who might otherwise have to travel widely in search of pelagic fish. It asked what risk and threat to biodiversity existed to warrant such a large closure. There was also contradictory evidence on the effectiveness of reserves that needed further examination.
The association said it was also concerned that the Department of Conservation had admitted that it could not effectively mark the boundaries of the reserve, and lacked the resources to effect any form of compliance. If recreational fishers, particularly charterboat operators, did not pay regular visits 'the area could be vulnerable to poachers.' 'It is likely that without regular visits to this isolated area by recreational fishers, particularly responsible charter boat operators.'
It saw no recognition of the huge tract of seafloor already covered by the Royal New Zealand Navy's listening range bordering the southern boundary of the proposed reserve, or of area covered by the Cable and Pipelines Protection Act just north of Great Barrier Island. The association said it was not against marine reserves, and there was no doubt that sections of the coastline should be set aside for scientific study or public enjoyment.
The reserve at the Poor Knights Islands protected similar biodiversity to Great Barrier Island, was closer to the mainland and afforded boaties good protection. The charterboat fleet provided easy public access to the reserve. 'we also ask that the recent shipping exclusion area around the Poor Knights from Cape Brett to Bream Head be considered in light of the proposed reserve.'
The extension of the Great Barrier marine reserve out to the territorial 12-mile limit could push transiting ships further offshore to stay outside the reserve. That meant that large, foreign-going ships could choose a passage through Colville Channel, crossing popular routes to the island from the mainland. That would create a further hazard for small craft and increase the risk of pollution. Submissions to DoC on the proposed reserve closed on October 2.

Sea marshals for shipping? Singapore and Malaysia are holding talks on placing sea marshals on merchant ships transiting the Malacca Strait to guard against the threat of maritime terror. Singapore's deputy Prime Minister, Dr Tony Tan, announced on August 27 that the two countries were looking into the possibility of placing sea marshals on ships. Dr Tan recently held discussions on security with Malaysian Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi and Deputy Prime Minister Najib Razak. 'They are very keen to see how we can further strengthen security in the Straits of Malacca and the Straits of Singapore, possibly by moving from coordinated patrols to having some security presence on ships passing through these vital straits,' Dr Tan said. 'I think that we will see further development in this area.' How such marshals would be deployed was not revealed. The Malaysian, Indonesian and Singapore navies started coordinated patrols of the waterway, which more than 50,000 vessels transit each year, in July.

Bill could hold employers to ransom The Employment Relations Law Reform Bill will leave employers vulnerable to unions, says the National Party. Wayne Mapp, the party's industrial relations spokesperson, said talk of a consensus, or of the bill being more business friendly, was 'blatant Beehive spin.' Under the changes to 'good faith', employers had to conclude a collective agreement. 'They cannot even object on the basis that it's a bad idea or that they don't believe in them,' Mapp said on September 13. He was speaking after the Select Committee reported the legislation back to Parliament. The changes also meant that employers would not be able to walk away from the negotiating table until all the issues had been resolved. If a union demanded a multi-employer collective agreement, or MECA, the union would keep the employer at the table until the demand was met. 'The legislation allows unions to push for an MECA that covered entire industries, and could grind the country to a halt as transport networks and industries shut down.'

Companies combine to bid for tender Austal Limited and Raytheon Australia have joined forces to bid for the upcoming Australian government tender to build two amphibious ships, the two companies said on August 30. The tender is due to be issued early next year. The project is likely to cost A$1.5 to $2 billion. The preferred tenderer should be identified by late 2005, and delivery is planned for between 2010 and 2014. The team could also bid for other naval contracts in the future, said Austal's Managing Director, Bob McKinnon.

Cocaine was worth millions Australian Federal Police and Customs Service seized about 100kg of cocaine in Western Australia on August 8. The drugs had a street value of about A$45 million. Three men were arrested and charged. The drugs were allegedly offloaded from a bulk grain carrier, the Marcos Dias, early the previous morning. The cocaine was in powder form, and was found in bags buried in sand dunes in Albany Harbour. The operation involved close cooperation with authorities from Brazil to disrupt an international drug trafficking syndicate. The arrests followed extensive surveillance of the vessel in Australian waters using aircraft, a Customs patrol boat, thermal imaging equipment and the port's closed circuit television network. The men appeared in the Albany Magistrate's Court on August 9.

Search for fisherman called off The search for a fisherman missing in the Far North was called off on August 17 after his 17m tuna boat, the Iron Maiden, sank the previous night off Cape Reinga. The Far North Coastguard said a rescue boat had retrieved an empty raft and a lifejacket. There was little hope of finding anyone alive. The alert was raised at around 1915 when emergency services received a mayday call from the vessel, which was sinking in five metre swells and 40 knot winds. Police Inspector Darroch Todd said the Whangarei rescue helicopter picked up a signal from the distress beacon at 2045 but could only hover above the boat's liferaft, as conditions were too rough to winch down a rescuer. The body of one of the fishermen was found tied to the beacon. Two fishing boats and a freighter were diverted to search for the missing man, along with a Royal New Zealand Air Force Orion, which located the empty liferaft.
 

To Top

The recent launching of the 19m steel fishing trawler Frontier by Stark Bros in Lyttelton is the first new build for the inshore trawler fleet for many years

Earlier this year in issue 40 of Professional Skipper I questioned the future of our ageing trawler fleet, and the economics surrounding the important inshore fishing industry. When we look around the current ageing fleet we see tired and inefficient ships by modern standards. With this fleet approaching some 30 years comes the cost of increased maintenance, higher fuel consumption and compliance costs. Most of these vessels suffer from decreased engine horsepower, cramped and often damp and uncomfortable crew working conditions, tired deck machinery and dated fish handling and storage facilities.

While we recognise the dilemma associated with these aged vessels, we have seen very few modern trawlers specifically built for inshore fishing within the last 10 to 15 years. Those few companies which have invested in new vessels have reported that significant financial returns are available from new vessels that have entered service. They generally have higher horsepower, better fuel consumption, better crew accommodation and comfort, more powerful winches, and better electronics and refrigeration, including icemakers. The end result is better captures and increased profitability for owners and operators. And yet, with all the obvious benefits, vessel owners still seem to be unwilling or unable to upgrade their boats. That means that with few exceptions the fleet will only get older.

The alternative option is to source cheap secondhand vessels from offshore, but unfortunately many of them are not suitable for New Zealand's coastal waters. While they may be cheap to buy, their owners invariably find that they end up spending far more money than they would have anticipated in conversions where the ultimate result is a compromise, offering only marginal gains in performance and some inherent deficiencies.

In comparison, a vessel designed and built by an industry-recognised New Zealand shipyard can incorporate modern technology and equipment from the early design stage through to final construction.

After a 19-month construction period, Frontier is the largest fishing vessel to be constructed in Lyttelton for at least 50 years. This 19.15m trawler can best be described as a 'big little ship', as she incorporates many features traditionally found only on large factory fishing trawlers. As such, she will be able to deliver a quality product within an economical scale that can only lead to higher profits. She represents a multi-million dollar investment and a vote of confidence by her owners in the inshore fishery. Launched on August 10, Frontier quickly entered service and proved to be a very stable platform to work from. Her skipper and crew said they were well pleased, and her initial trawling results are very good.

Ocean Fisheries, the Lyttelton-based company which operates Frontier, is owned by the Stark family. 'we are very pleased with the results to date,' says Andrew Stark of Stark Bros. Frank Stark established Stark Bros in 1958. Although they are predominantly a ship repair and marine engineering repair yard, they have been building fishing boats from the start, and the family has developed a long history in the fishing industry as commercial boatbuilders and fishermen. They originally built wooden boats, many of which departed in the early 1960s for the crayfishing boom off the Chatham Islands. Other subsequent vessels focussed on fishing, trawling and set netting around the South Island. The last 46 years has seen a significant commitment by the family, which has not only designed and built commercial vessels up to 25m in length, but also is reported to have at least 40 vessels in excess of 10m still fishing off the New Zealand coast today.

Because of her size, the launch of this latest vessel, Frontier, had to be planned to enable her to be transported safely from the construction workshop to the slipway. While the vessel was virtually completed inside the workshop before the hull could be moved, the wheelhouse, shelter deck and engineroom casings were all removed to reduce her height and weight for the road trip. The hull, a massive object weighing approximately 70 tonnes, was moved utilising the local resources and skills of Titan Cranes. 'Moving new vessels from Stark's Dublin Street workshop is always challenging, due to the hillside location,' says Titan Crane's on-site supervisor, Allan Low. 'Frontier was even more interesting due to her size and weight, which required the combined lifting strength of three of our cranes, firstly to lift the vessel onto Durham Transport's heavy transport trailer, and finally to lift the vessel onto the slipway.'

Once she was securely positioned on the slipway cradle, the wheelhouse and shelter deck were refitted, along with the heavy equipment of trawl winches and net rollers, before she was slipped to an adjacent fitout berth for final completion.

The heavy deck equipment with specialised winches, gallows and net rollers were all designed and built by Stark Bros engineering. The winches are controlled by a computerised system which the skipper may operate from the helm station. This system takes some of the load off the crew because they are not caught out on deck in snotty conditions to measure the trawl wires when shooting or hauling their gear. The split winches are computer controlled and are fitted with self-scrolling and wire-counting gear. To power such a vessel as this we find down in the bowels of the engineroom a Caterpillar 3412E engine - coupled to a Marine Gear CPG3 driving a Hundested controllable pitch four-blade propeller. A Stanford shaft generator powered from the main engine supplies 230 and 400 volt power to the vessel. This system is more cost effective and requires less fuel than a separate genset, as well as lower servicing and maintenance costs, giving improved efficiency. The cooling for the main engine and the auxiliary is supplied through Fermstrum grid keel coolers.

All the deck machinery is powered by a variety of hydraulic systems driven off the main engine. Hydrolink technicians fabricated and installed all the bent tube assemblies and flexible hydraulic lines to the many pumps, actuators and motors throughout the vessel. The fluid power system throughout the vessel was extensive. Once it had been designed and the deck machinery placed in position, it required some two months work to connect using Hydrolink fluid connectors, pipe work and flexible hoses. The two fold-down stabiliser wings that hinge on the chine are thought to be unique. Once away from the wharf, the wings, which extend about 2m out from the hull and about 1m below the waterline, are locked in place by fixed arms to provide extra stability and improved seakeeping.

Inside the wheelhouse the fully equipped galley is to port, with a dinette to starboard. Moving for'ard and up a step leads into the helm station to port, with an observation area positioned to starboard. A small companionway on the for'ard bulkhead leads down to the master's cabin in the forepeak, while another companionway behind the helm leads to a comfortable four-berth cabin for the crew. The head and shower is accessed from the aft deck. When off duty the crew can enjoy a video, DVD and Sky television. Once at the helm station, the master is afforded good all-round vision with all modern electronic aids to hand. Stark Bros, working with the skipper, Ross Dillon from Ocean Fisheries, chose an integrated electronic package from Advance Trident.

The brief given to Craig Geldard from ATL was for state-of-the-art electronics that would enable Frontier to maximise profits in her fishery. With this in mind, discussions focused on supplying the Simrad tactical fishing package commonly seen on bigger factory trawlers passing through the Lyttelton dry dock. Stark Bros had installed several Simrad ES60 echosounders on the New Zealand deepwater fleet, and could see the benefits of integrating the technology with the Simrad ITI trawl instrumentation system to give a complete tactical view of fish aggregation and detection, trawl position and catch volume. The ITI was supplied with a trawl eye and catch sensor. With a MaxSea 3D system operating C-map CM 93 electronic charts complimenting the package, Dillon can manoeuvre the trawler into areas where good fish echo is seen on the ES60, which has 38kHz and 200kHz dual frequency, while checking the seabed terrain on the MaxSea 3D. A new Simrad Combi wide transducer developed for shallow water fishing allows him to detect fish echo in depths of less than 50m, and then switch to the second transducer when back in deeper water. Other equipment on board includes a Simrad AP50 autopilot and an RT62 VHF radiotelephone. JRC supplied a JMA 5110 10kW LCD 72 nautical mile radar and a 10-target mini-ARPA for vessel tracking, a JSB 196 SSB radiotelephone, and a JLR 10 GPS compass with display. The compass is a 6in Saura MR-150. There is a Trace SW3024E sine wave inverter/charger, Intervolt 12 and 24 volt power conditioners, a Trident dead man watch alarm and a Celwave marine antenna. The epirb is a NAT S/Find GPIRB11, category 1. 'There is no doubt that the electronics are probably the most comprehensive supplied to a New Zealand trawler of this size for some time,' says Geldard. 'But with the emphasis firmly shifting towards technology and efficiency for New Zealand trawler operators, Frontier sets a new standard in electronic integration that provides Dillon with all the products needed for success.'

Rockwell New Zealand designed and installed the electrical control and monitoring package. This sophisticated package utilising the most up-to-date electronic technology controls the electrical circuits on board, ensuring that the equipment start-up procedures are automated with full monitoring and load balancing. The large, insulated fish room is supplied by an onboard North Star M5 saltwater icemaker which can produce up to 2.6 tonnes of shaved ice per day.

Onboard fish conveyors designed by Stark Bros enable the easy movement of fish from the fish pound to the sorting table, where the most valuable fish may be quickly chilled in an ice slurry, while the rest of the catch is processed and sent below to the refrigerated fish hold via another conveyor to be iced down. The shelter deck built around the work area not only protects the crew from the elements, it also protects the catch from the sun and drying winds. As Frontier enters service, she sets a new standard for the industry for efficient performance, crew comfort and safety, and the quality of the product delivered to the wharf.

Given the importance of our inshore fishing fleet to the local economy, it is hoped that many more fishing companies will follow the lead of Ocean Fisheries by commissioning the construction of new inshore trawlers from local, proven boatbuilders. This would bode well for our workboat construction industry and our inshore fishing fleet.

This is just a small selection of the articles in Professional Skipper
- click here for subscription details to receive your own copy with ALL the content