Fishing Vessels – Italian purse seiner S. RAFFAELE

One of the Italian purse seiner that used to be seen during the Blue Fin Tuna (BFT) Season was the 1974 built S.RAFFAELE which on radio vhf she was called as SAN RAFFAELE. She was built at Cantieri Navali Codecasa at Viareggio with yard number F23 as S.RAFFAELE for Cooperativa S. Michele based at Cetara, […]

Casualties – Algerian Purse Seiner YOUNES II sank – April, 2018

On Tuesday 3rd April, 2018, the Algerian tuna purse seiner YOUNES II launched an SOS message to her sister YOUNES I, of which she did not assist her for unknown reasons.  YOUNES I  was able to return to the Tunisian coast to berth in Bizerte, unlike her sistership YOUNES II which disappeared 20 miles north […]

BFT Season 2023 – 2021 built French OPV for Fisheries Patrol

The eastern bluefin (BFT) migration has supported valuable fisheries in the Mediterranean since antiquity. Initially based on hand lines and beach seines, these fisheries were dominated after the 16th century by tuna cages placed in the path of migrating tuna. After the expansion of purse seines and longlines in the Atlantic (in the 1950s) and […]

BFT Season 2023 – Morrocan Purse Seiner SAAD ALLAH – 31.05.2023

The eastern bluefin migration has supported valuable fisheries in the Mediterranean since antiquity. Initially based on hand lines and beach seines, these fisheries were dominated after the 16th century by tuna cages placed in the path of migrating tuna. After the expansion of purse seines and longlines in the Atlantic (in the 1950s) and in […]

BFT Season 2023 – Algerian Purse Seiner LES FRERES BENAMANE

The eastern bluefin migration has supported valuable fisheries in the Mediterranean since antiquity. Initially based on hand lines and beach seines, these fisheries were dominated after the 16th century by tuna cages placed in the path of migrating tuna. After the expansion of purse seines and longlines in the Atlantic (in the 1950s) and in […]

Fishing Vessels – Tunisian ABOU SHAMA and DENPHIR I at Malta – June 2013

With Blue Fin Tuna (BFT) Season in place it was interesting to see 2 Tunisian purse seiners at Grand Harbour, Malta during June 2013 sheltering from strong winds, both of them during their maiden calls. These were the 1996 built wooden 24 metre wooden hull purse seiner ABOU SHAMA homeported in Monastir with fishing matricola […]

BFT Season 2022 – Movements – 21 to 26.05.2022

May is here and Blue Fin Tuna (BFT) Season is here with interesting Turkish fishing vessels coming to tow tuna cages from various spots that belong to Licensed Tuna Farms – Saturday 21st May, 2022. 1453 hrs – 1993 built TUR flag purse seiner SUAYIP KETENCI with fishing matricola 34A 4901 entered Grand Harbour coming from […]

Libyan Shipping – Purse Seiner ARRABTA

One of the 5 Damen built 32 metre Fishing Vessels delivered in green hull is the 1991 built ARRABTA owned by Nour Al Haiat Fishery Co (NAFIMCO, Libya. Berthed at DWQ 2 on 23rd November 2004, first time to be seen in Malta on her way to Piriou Shipyard at Concarneau, France for modification. She […]

Fishing Vessels – Italian Purse Seiner MADONNA DI FATIMA

One of the beautiful purse seiners found at Salerno, Italy is the 1973 built 42 metres long MADONNA DI FATIMA. She was built by Cantiere Navali A. Giorgetti at Viareggio as yard number 19 in 1973 for Fratelli Antonio e Vincenzo Consiglio ed Altri homeported at Salerno, Italy (ITA). She’s 42.22 metres long with 7.45 […]