UK-built workboat for tuna farmer
A UK ship repairer and boat builder that has previously supplied Scotland’s fish farming industry has delivered another aquaculture workboat – this time to a tuna fish farm in Malta.
Southampton-based SMS Group’s latest build is the Emmaya, a 24-metre workboat for Fish and Fish Ltd.
The yard’s previous vessels include the 23-metre Alyssa for Alness-based Leco Marine, which carries out net cleaning and general fish farm work.
Major investment
Fish and Fish Ltd director David Azzopardi said: “This represents a major investment for Fish and Fish Ltd, and it illustrates not only the strength of our business but also our belief in the environmental sustainability of the aquaculture industry here in Malta.”
Dave Chaffers, general manager of SMS in Southampton, said: “As a business our focus clearly remains on ship repair, however this build helps to illustrate both our capabilities and our expertise.”
Fish and Fish Ltd’s new boat has been built to operate up to 150 nautical miles from safe haven. It has an overall length of 24.45m, breath of 8.5m and maximum draft of 2.87m.
It has Caterpillar Acert power units and two Palfinger cranes.
