Hangana spends N$28 million on fishing vessel

After two years and N$28 million worth of repairs and renovations, Ohlthaver & List (O&L) Group subsidiary Hangana Seafood recently welcomed back into service its fishing vessel Otter Bank.
The ship is one of eight vessels owned by the fishing company, and was recalled from duty in June 2014 for an extensive overhaul.
Hangana managing director Herman Theron said having the ship out of service for so long hurt the company’s production but he was confident it was the right decision.
“The health and safety of our staff is our number one priority, and is what motivated us to withdraw one of our best-performing vessels from duty, to equip her with the best and newest technology available in the industry,” Theron said.
Parts that needed repairs included the trawl doors, net drums, winches and main winch. The ship was treated to a number of additional renovations, including an ABC engine enabling it to run on intermediate fuel oil (IFO) and helping to reduce its carbon footprint.
“The vessel’s fish hold was also redone and all refrigeration and electrical systems were upgraded,” Hangana Seafood fleet technical manager Christie Sitzer said.
“The vessel’s stock pond and navigation system also received a new lease of life (and) the bridge equipment was replaced with the newest technology,” he said.
All technical work was carried out by Namibians at Walvis Bay, Theron said.
The Otter Bank underwent its first sea trial on 18 May and passed with flying colours, Sitzer said.
The Otter Bank’s sister vessel, the Fisher Bank, is next in line for refurbishment.

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