The Ocean Ark, a design from Chile for a 558'x210' oceangoing aquaculture vessel developed by Ocean Arks Tech, will be submitted to French maritime authorities to meet rules and standards for registry, according to partners in the project.
The trimaran which would raise fish in copper cages was approved in principle by the ship classification society RINA in 2021. Ocean Ark Tech of Chile is working with strategic ally, U.K-based Ocean Sovereign, and with international assurance and risk management provider DVN.
“Ocean Ark, a patented advanced self-cleaning trimaran superstructure, was developed by Ocean Sovereign according to Marpol, Solas and IMO regulations,” according to a joint statement by DVN and Ocean Sovereign. “The vessel is designed with low density to operate in high offshore waters, drifting with the natural current and natural fish shoals. It is designed to ensure sufficient safety for the environment, fish and crew. The mobile nature of Ocean Ark will help to ensure the health and welfare of the fish and ensure that the fish are kept in their natural habitat.”
DNV is supporting Ocean Sovereign with business-critical challenges and innovations by delivering:
- Classification of the floating structure/vessel and marine systems
- Certification of mooring/dynamic positioning system
- Certification of aquaculture nets and systems
- Assessing operation and integrity controls during the design lifetime
“Deploying the innovative Ocean Ark vessel away from marine heatwaves, algae blooms, and storms – aquaculture’s three Achilles’ heels – aims to increase fish welfare, produce higher quality protein, and increase world fish production without increasing pressures on fish stocks and coastal habitats,” according to the sponsors.
"Offshore fish production is based on a combination of two well-known concepts, fish farming and offshore technology, and therefore a cross-industry approach and know-how is needed," said Ocean Sovereign General Manager, Zeyd Fassi Fehri. "At Ocean Sovereign, we are happy to join forces with DNV and benefit from their knowledge gained through decades of experience in these two fields that will allow us to safely deploy the vessels. We believe that DNV’s extensive experience in offshore and fish farming will help us to play a key role in the deployment of our vessels under French registration."
France is Europe’s largest market for salmon, and has one of the world’s largest maritime exclusive economic zones .
"As well as sustainability and fish welfare, the inclusion of local communities is embedded into every Ocean Sovereign project. The deployment of the Ocean Ark offers many synergies and growth opportunities for the existing local aquaculture and fishing sector," said Fassi Fehri. "To seize these opportunities, agreements have been reached with well-established French aquaculture and fishing stakeholders and will be released shortly."
"DNV is proud to safeguard innovative technology to deliver sustainable seafood products to consumers," said Thomas Vogth-Eriksen, global aquaculture director at DNV Supply Chain & Product Assurance. "As a global leader in advancing the safety, efficiency, and sustainability of a range of ocean-based industries, we are particularly pleased to support knowledge-driven solutions that contribute to the sustainable growth of the aquaculture sector."
