After completing its voyage from a shipyard in Larsne, Norway, wellboat Orca Yka will begin servicing the salmon farms of Salmones Camanchaca this month to help it combat sea lice and transport live fish.
The 79-meter-long vessel has a 2,800m3 capacity and the option for smolt and salmon transport, and features freshwater treatment system designed by Sea Farm Innovations (SFI). SFI built the system around their patented flushing system that gently removes the sea lice from the salmon and simultaneously collects the sea lice so it can be filtered from the water.
The wellboat is owned by Naviera Orca Chile, with whom Salmones Camanchaca has signed a contract for its use, according to news outlet Aqua. The wellboat is the fourth in Naviera’s fleet.
“For Salmones Camanchaca, the incorporation of the Orca Yka to our work is quite strategic and is in line with our sustainability model. Its possibility of treatment for the Caligus considers the principles of animal welfare by allowing this to be done in a respectful way with the fish, at the same time as its greater capacity to transport biomass, reduces trips and, with it, the eventual impact in the environment,” Sebastián Balart, Logistics Deputy Manager told the publication.
The vessel was built by Larsnes Mek Verksted and features engines from Yanmar Europe.
“The engines were found to be a good fit to the operational profile that was required. The main propulsion engine with shaft generator includes flexibility with the option to vary the amount of power produced which provides optimal fuel consumption for the many different operations that these live fish carriers do. We can always operate at the most efficient power and RPM,” Yanmar said.
Orca Yko is docked at Puerto Montt, from which it will serve the salmon producer’s farms in the Los Lagos and Aysén regions, the publication added.
