Ika’s first vessel in Fiji

ON January 14, 1976,

The Fiji Times published a story on the fishing industry in Fiji and the Ika Corporation’s first fishing vessel that arrived in the country.

The article stated that the corporation’s first chartered fishing vessel breezed into Suva the previous week.

This vessel was fully prepared to take on her first fishing assignment for her new company.

The 192-tonne vessel Hatatori Maru was owned by Hokuku Marine Products Ltd in Japan and was on charter to the corporation for 10 months.

The vessel, Hatatori Maru, had a Japanese complement of 10 and was commanded by Capt Mitsutoyo Kaneda.

A spokesman for the Fisheries Department in Lami told The Fiji Times that apart from the Japanese complement, the ship would have a local crew of 20 and four personnel from the department who would train on board as counterparts to the chief engineer, baitsman and recorder.

Employment was created for locals when this fishing vessel came to Fiji.

The report further stated other local men would be trained in the fundamentals of bait fishing, skipjack tuna spotting and general crew duties.

Most of Hatatori Maru’s local crew started training earlier in preparation for their first fishing assignment in territorial waters.

On this first trip, the

Hatatori Maru would be away for 20 days before returning to port with its first catch.

Capt Kaneda said the ship was fully equipped for long fishing trips of periods up to 30 days.

He said his Japanese crew were getting along well with the local crew and added their fishing trips would be enjoyable as well as educational for both parties.

The spokesman said the chartered ship would be registered as a fishing vessel and her registration number, C962, would be clearly marked on her bow.

He said he ship would be based at Lami and would deliver her catch to the Pacific Fishing Company (PAFCO) on Levuka.

The eight-year-old vessel had a gross tonnage of 192.36 metric tonnes with a maximum cruising speed of 11 knots.

She was 34.5 metres in length and had an ice hold capacity of 76.33 cubic metres plus a fuel oil tank of 76.81 cubic metres.

With the refrigeration space on board, the Hatatori Maru could carry 70 metric tonnes of fish in her ice holds.

Hatatori Maru left on her first fishing assignment and would be back in port after 20 days.

Picture: FILE Local crew members and their Japanese counterparts on board the Hatatori Maru.

Picture: panda.org Women trainee seafarers (from left) Joana Kasani and Vaseva Nailaba Dale (right) with a fishing vessel female crew member after a fishing expedition at the Fiji Fish jetty at Draunibota, Lami.