BFT Season 2024 – 4 Turkish Purse Seiners at Valletta, Malta – 25.05.2024
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 […]
Aqua Cultural Zone – Bulker GOLDEN ARSENAL entered Mare Blu Tuna Farm – 16.05.2024
On Thursday 16th May, 2024 around 1530 hrs the 2011 built bulker GOLDEN ARSENAL disobeyed Valletta VTS instructions to keep at least 1 mile away from the fish farm after completed conveyance operation and was on her way to Benghazi, Libya. 1535 hrs – Valletta VTS called the vessel to declare that no damage was […]
BFT Season 2024 – First 2 Italian Fishing Vessels at Malta – 19.04.2024
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 […]
Fishing Vessels – Greek Purse Seiner APOLLON 01
One of the few Greek fishing vessels that used to be seen during the Blue Fin Tuna (BFT) Season was the 1986 built purse seiner APOLLON 01. She was built in Greece in 1986 with a length (loa) of 23.90 m , beam of 6.20 m and maximum draft of 3,30 m. She’s homeported at […]
BFT Season 2005 – 45 meters Icelandic Trawler EYBORG at Malta
During the early stages of Blue Fin Tuna (BFT) fishing industry, several interesting vessels were engaged in towing tuna cages with one of them was the Icelandic 44.95 meters trawler EYBORG built at Estaleiros Sao Jacinto in Aveiro, Portugal in 1994. During June 1992 her keel was laid and 6 months later she was launched, […]
BFT Season 2023 – Cypriot Fishing Vessel MY HENDRIKA
The eastern Atlantic and Mediterranean bluefin tuna was long a symbol of overfishing and fisheries mismanagement. Over the past decade, the stock has recovered, following the rebuilding measures introduced by the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT). Atlantic bluefin tuna (Thunnus thynnus) is a highly migratory pelagic fish of impressive size (up […]
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 […]
BFT Season 2022 – Italian stern trawlers NATALINO, LEOVITO, BUCEFALO, MARPESCA DUE and Maltese tug CMS SEACAT on 19/20.05.2022
May is here and Blue Fin Tuna (BFT) Season is here with Italian fishing stern trawlers coming from Sicily to tow tuna cages from various spots that belong to Licensed Tuna Farms – Thursday 19th May, 2022 – 1999 built ITA flag stern fishing trawler NATALINO with fishing matricola MV 409 of which entered Grand […]
Fishing Vessels – Italian stern trawler REGINA
The first Italian stern trawler that entered Malta in 2022 was the 2005 built REGINA. She entered Grand Harbour on Friday 25th March at 2125 hrs berthing at Magazine Wharf. She was built at Cantiere Navale IL Carpentiere Di Asaro S.Ec Snc at Mazara Del Vallo where she’s homeported and also with fishing matricola MV […]
Delivery – CHANNEL CHIEFTAIN VII arrive at Malta – 11.03.2022
On Friday 11th March, 2022 at 1411 hrs the 2003 built GBR flag 27.70 metres workboat CHANNEL CHIEFTAIN VII passed breakwaters during her delivery voyage from Weymouth, UK to Malta. She was built in Spain by Mercurio Plastics Shipyard at Cartagena as HERMANOS ALBA TERCERO homeported at Cartagena, Spain for the Fuentes Group for the […]
