Finishing touches being made to biggest wellboat
The vessel that will take the crown as the world’s largest wellboat has been given a fresh paint job as the time rapidly approaches when it is finished and will be put to work.
The Gåsø Høvding, owned by shipping operator Frøy Rederi, has a capacity of 7,500m³, slightly larger than the current title holder, the Ronja Storm, that is owned by Sølvtans and is contracted to Huon Aquaculture in Tasmania.
It is equipped with three fish tanks with moveable bulkheads, drum filters and CO₂ removal, production of fresh water, refrigerated sea water cooling, gentle fish grading, a live fish vacuum pump, a 12-line Hydrolicer and containerised stun-and-bleed facilities.
The fish handling solutions have been supplied by Cflow, based in Langevåg on Sula, just outside the town of Ålesund in western Norway. Cflow started up in 2003 and supplying the Gåsø Høvding is the largest contract it has ever had.
Fish welfare first
Fish welfare is central to Cflow’s work, said sales engineer Gunn Marit Nerem.
“If we treat the fish well, there will be less damage and mortality. This in turn results in smaller losses, also financially. A stressed fish results in poorer well-being, which in turn results in increased mortality. For us, there is no other way of thinking than fish welfare first and foremost,” said Nerem.
To ensure that fish welfare is taken very seriously, Cflow has hired five biologists whose only job is to ensure that the technology works from the fish’s perspective.
“Absolutely everything we do is secured by our biologists,” said Nerem.
1,000 tonnes an hour
Frøy group chose Cflow on the basis of past experience with the company.
“Our choice of supplier is based on relationships and trust. Cflow has delivered good facilities to us before,” said Frøy group technical inspector Geir Antonsen.
The Gåsø Høvding is 83.72 metres long and 30.90 metres wide, making it shorter but fatter than the Ronja Storm.
“The boat is built for high capacity, and can load more than 1,000 tonnes of fish per hour. This makes it environmentally friendly and economical, because it can process and transport more fish in less sailing time,” said Nerem.
“High loading capacity improves fish welfare, because operations can be carried out faster and the fish are thus exposed to less stress. The boat is an optimal platform for good fish handling due to the large deck areas; there is room to park a scheduled flight on board.”
The boat has performed well in sea trials and is due to be delivered in late summer.
Watch an animated video of the vessel below.
