STX Offshore & Shipbuilding of Korea has confirmed that it recently signed a contract for two newbuilding tuna purse seiners with compatriot Dongwon Industries.
Detailed terms, such as ship specification, delivery, etc., have not been revealed, but the newbuilding values around KRW 25bn ($22.3m) apiece.
Meanwhile, Sungdong Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering has built the first Korean-built 1,900-ton tuna purse seiner and held a naming ceremony in July this year.
Since some 500 tuna purse seiners under operation in the Pacific are built with old designs and needs for next-generation fuel-efficient deep-sea fishing vessel that satisfies newly adopted international laws are increasing, the segment will become the niche market.