The Australian Fisheries
Management Authority
(AFMA) will expand its
presence in Lakes Entrance,
Victoria with a regional offi ce
to open in early 2018.
AFMA Chair, Helen Kroger
said that the decision was
made after successfully
trialling a Lakes Entrance
based liaison offi cer for the
last two years.
“Since 2015 AFMA, in
conjunction with the South
East Trawl Fishing Industry
Association (SETFIA), has
had a dedicated AFMA staff
member based in the area to
work directly with the trawl
industry on a daily basis,”
Kroger said.
“This has proven
successful for both industry
and AFMA.“AFMA looks forward to
expanding this work.”
Lakes Entrance is one of
AFMA’s largest fi shing ports
with vessels and industry
representatives from the
trawl, gillnet, scallop, squid,
small pelagic and line
fi sheries all residing there or
using the port throughout
the year.WA-based shipbuilder
Austal has secured a host
of new ferry contracts from
overseas operators, worth a
combined $163.1 million.
Austal’s joint venture in
China, Aulong Shipbuilding,
has been awarded its second
high speed passenger ferry
contract.
The $5.6 million order
is for a 35m high-speed
catamaran for Chinese
mainland ferry operator,
Blue Sea Jet.
The new ferry will carry
up to 260 passengers at
speedsinexcessof26kt.
FjordLineofNorway
hasplacedanorderworth
€73 million (AUD$108
million) to design and build
a 109m high-speed vehicle
passenger ferry.
Designed in Australia by
Austal, it will be the eighth
high speed ferry over 100m
in length to be built by the
company.
The Fjord Line vessel
(pictured) will transport
1200 passengers at up to
40kt and features Austal’s
largest ever vehicle-carrying
capacity, with a beam of
30.5m enabling 404 cars to
be carried across two decks.
It will join the Fjord
Line fleet in January 2020
following delivery from
Austal’s Australian shipyard.
Austal is already building
a similar 109m catamaran
for Molslinjen of Denmark.
Austal’s Phillipines
shipyard will build a 30m
catamaran ferry for local
operator VS Ferries following
the signing of a $5.5 million
contract.Norwegian based offshore
service vessel operator
Solstad Farstad has
secured a contract with
Cooper Energy to support
drilling operations within
Bass Strait.
The contract consists
of the anchor handling
tug supply vesselsFar
Statesman andFar
Senatortowing the semi-
submersible rig Ocean
Monarch from the North
West Shelf to Bass Strait,
and then con tinuing with
rig support duties for a
βͳʹͲǡ
ͲǦ
optional periods.Austal secures
multiple ferry contracts
Trawlers unloading at the Lakes Entrance Fisherman’s Co-opAFMA TO OPEN LAKES ENTRANCE OFFICE
Solstad
Fa r s t a d
secures
Cooper
contract
The design of the ferry
comes from Sydney-based
naval architects Incat
Crowther.
With capacity for up to
300 passengers, and capable
of up to 25kt, the catamaran
is scheduled for delivery in
August 2018.
Also to be built in thePhilippines are two 550
passenger, 50m high-speed
catamarans for Taiwan’s
Brave Line.
The contract is valued
at some $44 million and
includes an option for a third
vessel of the same design,
which is being produced by
Austal in Australia.tradeboats.com.au 107