VESSEL REVIEW | Zhongguo Hai Jian 7009 – Monitoring vessel for China’s Nanji Islands Marine Reserve

The Nanji Islands National Marine Nature Reserve Administration of China recently took delivery of a new marine monitoring vessel.

Named Zhongguo Hai Jian 7009 (“China Marine Surveillance 7009”), the vessel was designed and built by local engineering company the Yaguang Technology Group in compliance to China Classification Society rules. Its missions will include anti-illegal fishing patrols in the waters of the Nanji Islands Biosphere Reserve, a UNESCO-designated marine protected chain of 52 islands lying just south-east of Pingyang County in eastern China’s Zhejiang province.

The newbuild has a steel hull, an aluminium superstructure, an LOA of 34.74 metres, and a beam of 6.6 metres, making it one of the largest vessels in the current maritime surveillance fleet of the Nanji Islands Biosphere Reserve. Three engines driving propellers enable the vessel to attain a speed of 25 knots and a range of about 250 nautical miles at a cruising speed of 16 knots, while anti-roll systems provide added stability at high speeds.

The design of the vessel is optimised for patrols in coastal waters. Operations are possible even under extreme weather conditions.

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