Local shipbuilder launches tuna-fishing vessel for France

Manapany, a tuna-fishing vessel worth 85 million euro built in Vietnam, was delivered to the French company Sapmer Sa last week.

South East Asia Co. Ltd (SEA Shipyard), located in Long An Province, is the first Vietnam-based company to receive a shipbuilding contract from SapmerSa.

It took 20 months for SEA Shipyard to build the tuna ship, which was constructed from local materials.

The ship, 90 meters long and 14.5 meters wide, can reach 17.4 nautical miles and has a cold store capacity of 1,500 cubic meters, allowing it to preserve tuna at -40 degrees Celsius.

Sapmer Sa general director Yannick Lauri said that SEA Shipyard was also building a second ship worth another 85 million euro for the French company, which he expects will be finished in mid-October this year, ready for delivery.

“Sapmer Sa also owns a Manapany that was made in France. We provide the European market with tuna caught from the Indian Sea in accordance with the Food and Agriculture Organisation’s standards;’ Lauri said.

Vo Hong Linh, representative for SEA Shipyard’s production management unit, said that the first Manapany made in Vietnam was test-driven three times this April near Vung Tau City.

SEA Shipyard has previously built high-speed aluminium ships measuring 26 meters in length and 16 meters in breadth, that can reach 40 nautical miles. These ships are often used at oil-rigs located in Vietnamese ocean.

The Saigon Times Daily

Tags: Manapany, SEA Shipyard, Vietnam shipping industry