FAO Fisheries and Aquaculture is committed to creating a world in which responsible and sustainable use of our fisheries and aquaculture resources makes a significant contribution to human well-being, food security and poverty alleviation.
Here you can find the latest news and features showing how our standard setting work, policy initiatives and activities in the field are making a difference in the life of entire communities, contributing to a Blue Transformation in the way aquatic resources are conserved and utilized.
Fishers in Sri Lanka will in future have access to a boat specially designed to maximise their safety in the rougher seas resulting from climate change.
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) commissioned a naval architect to produce a boat that is extremely difficult to sink. Financial support for the project came from the Norwegian government.
"In this day and age, when the climate is changing rapidly and the frequency and severity of storms is increasing, this design protects fishers when they go further out to sea and enables them to get back to shore safely,” said Derrick Menezes, a FAO naval architect who designed the boat.
An array of factors including existing boats weaknesses, fishing methods, safety at sea and today's climate change challenges were considered during the design process.
The resulting boat comes in 20-foot (6-metre) and 23-foot (7-metre) versions. The hull is manufactured from glass fibre reinforced plastic, following internationally agreed construction quality and safety standards, and is structurally very strong.
Reserve buoyancy incorporated into the boat makes it extremely difficult to sink. Blocks of polystyrene built into the front, rear and sides of the vessel add buoyancy that keeps it afloat even when swamped by waves.
Another safety feature is the boat’s stability, which is achieved by its extra width. This helps especially when hauling nets on board.
In case of an emergency such as a breakdown of the outboard motor, there is a hole in the foredeck and a mast base, enabling fishers to put up a small sail to help them get back to shore. Fishers can also use this to save fuel.
Naval architect and crew testing the climate-resistant boat model.
The equipment on board also makes fishing safer for the crew. Navigation lights make it more visible to other vessels at night. The boat carries life jackets, ring-buoys, and a safety grab bag. Typical contents of a grab bag include items like a VHF radio, a GPS, flares, a mirror for signalling for help in daytime and a rescue laser for doing the same at night, a whistle, a compass, and a medical kit. Besides keeping the contents dry, the bag can also act as a float.
The underside of the vessel is fitted with a stainless-steel keel shoe to protect the hull when fishers drag the boat up and down the beach every day as is the norm in Sri Lanka. This avoids the extra expense of regular repairs to the hull.
Safety features of the climate-proof boat include life jackets and a grab bag filled with items like flares, a whistle, and a medical kit.
The boat is designed to remain buoyant even when swamped.
Despite its superior safety features, having a boat made according to the FAO design is competitive in cost terms. Its estimated price is slightly more expensive than a typical traditional fishing boat. The modest additional expense is mainly due to the extra materials used such as the quantity of glass fibre.
“Fishers will have to invest just a little bit more in their boat, so that they can rely on it for their safety, avoid ending up in the water and use it much longer,” said Raymon Van Anrooy, a senior fishery officer at FAO.
Running costs are also kept as low as possible by maximising fuel efficiency. This is achieved by the design of the hull that makes it cut through the water more smoothly.
FAO usually makes a demonstration model of a new design and then trains local boat builders on how to construct it.
FAO has a history of involvement in boat design dating back to the 1960s. More than 230 crafts feature on FAO’s Fishing Vessel Design Database , ranging from canoes to vessels of 30 metres in length. All the designs, including that of the Sri Lanka boat, are available to use free of charge.
Loading comments…