High-Tech Fishery Research Ship Delivered

NKK delivered a fishery research ship built for the Fisheries Agency of Japan in a ceremony held at NKK's Tsurumi Shipyard on May 12.

Named the "Shoyo-maru," the 2,118 gross-ton research ship is a third-generation replacement to the agency's current flagship, the 1,363 gross-ton Shoyo-maru, which has been in service since 1972. NKK is proud to have received this new shipbuilding order from the agency.

The new research ship, 76m long, 14m wide and 7.25m deep, is a size larger than the current vessel and features a comfortable accommodation area for its crew of 49. The ship was built by utilizing the most up-to-date shipbuilding and computer technologies to maximize its fishery research and oceanic environmental survey capabilities to meet the global needs of the coming century.

The ship employs an optimal hull design and special devices to reduce underwater noise and vibrations and to suppress bubble generation at the bow. This allows the high-tech acoustic and survey equipment to operate without interference. The ship is also equipped with fin stabilizers and anti-roll tanks to control the ship's roll during a voyage or while conducting a survey, an on-board LAN for integrated information processing, and an environmentally-friendly waste disposal system involving bio-fermentation.

Following the owner's sea trials, the Shoyo-maru will set sail on oceanic and fishery survey cruises around the world.