VESSEL REVIEW | Kibena 6 & Kibena 7 – Deepsea-capable tuna seiners for Chinese seafood company

China’s Fujian Mawei Shipbuilding has delivered two new purse seining vessels in a series ordered by local seafood company Zhejiang Ocean Family.

Kibena 6 and Kibena 7 each have a steel hull, an LOA of 76.73 metres (251.7 feet), a beam of 13.5 metres (44.3 feet), a design draught of 4.75 metres (15.6 feet), a moulded depth of 7.7 metres (25.3 feet), a gross tonnage of 1,848, and space for 38 crewmembers.

Large size permitting significant transport and freezing capacities

The fish hold on each vessel has a total capacity of approximately 1,880 cubic metres (66,400 cubic feet) and utilises an environment friendly refrigerant that can maintain temperatures as low as minus 18 degrees Celsius.

The vessels’ size also enables the integration of a helicopter platform, while the electronics include a Doppler sonar, an S-band seabird radar, a solar radio buoy, a fishery remote sensing system, and a fish finder with colour display. The electronics will aid in the vessels’ operation catching tuna and similar species in distant-water fisheries such as those in the Central and Western Pacific Ocean.

Capable of long-range operations

The Daihatsu 8DKM-28E main diesel engine on each vessel has a rated output of 2,720 kW (3,650 hp), which deliver a free running speed of 15.6 knots. Each engine is fed by fuel tanks with a total capacity of 515,690 litres (113,440 gallons).

Kibena 6 and Kibena 7 are registered to Kiribati and will be operated by Kiribati Tuna Fishing on behalf of Zhejiang Ocean Family.