A DESIGN for a giant Fish Transport Vessel (FTV) able to move 400 tonnes of live bluefin tuna from the Mediterranean catching grounds for fattening in warm Thailand waters has been developed by Spanish state shipbuilder Izar.

The ship, which would measure 149.4 x 46 x 23 metres, is also designed with the capability of freezing 600 tonnes of on-grown bluefin in addition to the live tuna.

So, this advanced design FTV would be able to deliver 1000 tonnes of bluefin tuna direct to market.

This design, prepared by Izar and the consultancy company Itzasi Aquaculture, is for a ship having two holds of 42 x 42 x 17 metres giving a total tank volume of two x 28,000 cu. metres (56,000).

She would take on live tuna caught by the modern fleet of tuna purse seiners operating in the Mediterranean, then transport them to Thai waters for fattening and conditioning. Tuna would be on-grown in Bridgestone-type tuna cages.

At the end of this process, tuna can either be frozen aboard the FTV or brought back on board live for transport to the top paying markets in Japan.

Projects by Izar to transport and fatten tuna are proving attractive. Izar's Abel Mendez Diaz tells FNI: "We recently had a very serious approach from a group of Canadian industries.

"Also, last summer, we had contacts with an Indonesian company. They even proposed the project to their government as part of an effort to restructure their fishing industry.

"I am afraid that, after the tsunami, the government will have other preferences.

"Regarding the FTV project, we have paid a visit to some companies in Japan to show the FTV project and one was very interested. They are making tests to verify the biological premises.

"The idea is to grow bluefin tuna somewhere mid-way from the Mediterranean to the marketplace in Japan (eg Thailand) in yearround warm water areas (between 24 and 26 deg. ). This improves the efficiencies of the growth process.

"Juvenile fish would be transported from the Mediterranean by an FTV, farmed in the Thailand area and then transported to the marketplace partly fresh and the rest frozen within the same FTV ship." Suitable bluefin could also be slaughtered in Mediterranean waters for transport to Japan in frozen form.

The ship would have a speed of ten knots unloaded and eight knots loaded.

Bluefin would swim in circles with the holds, with the circuit being closed during transport to avoid seawater temperature changes in the tanks.

Oxygen would be injected into the water by means of an oxygengas plant and temperature control would be by deep seawater suction, if necessary.

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1000t bluefin ship