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FAO UNSINKABLE BOAT

An unsinkable fishing boat able to resist capsizing in heavy seas has been developed by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) to safeguard the lives of small-scale fishers in Sri Lanka and help them confront climate extremes causing tens of thousands of fatalities at sea worldwide every year.

Language English

Country Sri Lanka

Duration 3m54s

Edit Version International

Video Type Video News Release (VNR)

File size 515.37 MB

Unique ID UF18WX5

Production details and shotlist

UNFAO Source FAO Video

Shotlist STORY: FAO / FAO UNSINKABLE BOAT
TRT: 3:54
SOURCE: FAO
RESTRICTIONS: PLEASE CREDIT FAO ON SCREEN
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH /NATS
DATELINE: 8 NOVEMBER 2024, ROME, ITALY / RECENT

SHOTLIST:

21 SEPTEMBER 2023, MORATUWA, SRI LANKA

1. Wide shot, men swamping FAO-designed boat to test its buoyancy
2. Wide shot, men swamping FAO-designed boat to test its buoyancy
3. Drone shot, FAO-designed undecked fishing vessel being tested
4. Tracking shot, FAO-designed undecked fishing vessel being tested
5. Wide shot, FAO officers testing fishing boat
6. SOUNDBITE (ENGLISH) Raymon Van Anrooy, FAO senior fishery officer: “These boats have been designed by an FAO naval architect to meet the future problems and challenges of climate change that the fishers have here in Sri Lanka. So these boats have been made safer, more fuel efficient. They can cope with higher waves. They are more stable. They are more secure. So they bring fishermen from Sri Lanka safely home.”
7. Wide shot, men carrying FAO-designed boat for testing
8. Tracking shot, FAO-designed boat
9. Wide shot, FAO senior fishery officer Raymon Van Anrooy taking notes
10. Wide shot, stability of FAO-designed boat tested with weights
11. Various, FAO-designed boat
12. Wide shot, men swamping FAO-designed boat to test its buoyancy
13. SOUNDBITE (ENGLISH) Derrick Menezes, FAO’s naval architecture fishing vessel:
“We flooded this boat entirely with water, with all the weights in place of the engine, of the equipment, and everything, and we found when it’s fully swamped with water and the water moves in and out from the sides, one, she [the boat] doesn't capsize, and two, she stays well afloat, far away from sinking, keeping the fishermen safe till the storm passes, then he can bail out his boat, dry, and proceed back to shore.”

FEBRUARY 2024, SRI LANKA

14. Various drone shots, FAO-designed bulbous boat being tested

8 NOVEMBER 2024, ROME, ITALY

15. Wide shot, FAO headquarters in Rome
16. SOUNDBITE (ENGLISH), Manuel Barange, Director of the Fisheries Aquaculture Division at FAO: “First, from a physical point of view, a warm ocean generates more storms, higher frequency and intensity of storms and hurricanes that we have seen recently in different parts of the world. Sometimes fishers don't have time to go back to the harbour. But also, climate change is affecting distribution of resources, so it is very possible that some fishers need to go further offshore to find the fish and therefore becoming more exposed to what is happening in the weather and climate sphere. All those elements make fishing very dangerous and it's very important that we provide support to fishers to reduce that casualty rate.”

MAY 2024, MAHÉ, SEYCHELLES

17. Wide shot, school of fish
18. Wide shot, octopus moving and camouflaging
19. Wide shot, Green turtle

JUNE 2021, CALETA TONGOY, CHILE

20. Wide shot, fisher pulling up fishnet
21. Wide shot, fishers collecting the catch

8 NOVEMBER 2024, ROME, ITALY

22. SOUNDBITE (ENGLISH), Manuel Barange, Director of the Fisheries Aquaculture Division at FAO: “Managing a fishery is not just about managing ecologically, it's also managing it economically and socially, and safety at sea, and the safety and the conditions of work of those operating, is part of the management of the fishery, and that's what FAO supports through the Blue Transformation.”

21 SEPTEMBER 2023, MORATUWA, SRI LANKA

23. Drone shot, FAO-designed undecked fishing vessel being tested
24. Drone shot, FAO-designed undecked fishing vessel being tested

Script An unsinkable fishing boat able to resist capsizing in heavy seas has been developed by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) to safeguard the lives of small-scale fishers in Sri Lanka and help them confront climate extremes causing tens of thousands of fatalities at sea worldwide every year.

With 7 meters in length and 2 in breadth, the SL23 undecked vessel is constructed in fibreglass and has been meticulously designed and tested by FAO naval engineers for coastal fishing operations in Sri Lanka, a country often impacted by storms and cyclones. The boat carries a crew of three to six fishers and is capable of speeds up to 15 knots. A slightly smaller model with the same features (SL20) has also been developed.

Some of the tailored-designed safety features of the boats are enhanced buoyancy, a V-shape hull providing better performance, strength, and stability than the traditional flat bottom fishing boats, notably when coping with high waves, and a slightly raised fore deck large enough for a crew member to shelter during storms.

Fitted with a stainless-steel keel shoe that prevents damage during beach launching and recovery, the SL23 and SL20 also save fishers the annual cost of fibreglass repairs to the bottom of the boats.

Designed by FAO as part of the Organization’s broad strategy to prevent accidents and improve the livelihoods of small-scale fishers, these boats were tested before the designs were handed over to the Government of Sri Lanka for industrial production. The designs of the boats are freely available through the FAO Fishing Vessel Design Database.

FAO senior fishery officer Raymon Van Anrooy said this initiative aims to ensure that fishers are able to respond to the challenges posed by climate extremes.

SOUNDBITE (ENGLISH) Raymon Van Anrooy, FAO senior fishery officer “These boats have been designed by an FAO naval architect to meet the future problems and challenges of climate change that the fishers have here in Sri Lanka. So these boats have been made safer, more fuel efficient. They can cope with higher waves. They are more stable. They are more secure. So they bring fishermen from Sri Lanka safely home.”

FAO’s naval architecture fishing vessel Derrick Menezes, responsible for designing the SL23 and SL20 models, said that the unsinkability of the boats was confirmed in a series of tests in Sri Lanka.

SOUNDBITE (ENGLISH) Derrick Menezes, FAO’s naval architecture fishing vessel “We flooded this boat entirely with water, with all the weights in place of the engine, of the equipment, and everything, and we found when it’s fully swamped with water and the water moves in and out from the sides, one, she [the boat] doesn't capsize, and two, she stays well afloat, far away from sinking, keeping the fishermen safe till the storm passes, then he can bail out his boat, dry, and proceed back to shore.”

Despite the critical roles of fishers in global food security, fishing remains one of the most dangerous occupations worldwide. An estimated 100,000 people or even more die every year in accidents, according to recent data. Most accidents take place in small-scale fisheries.

The drivers are multifaceted (limited technical capacity, lack of safety gears, poverty…) and now climate change is making the situation even more challenging, which requires urgent action, said Manuel Barange, FAO’s Assistant Director General and Director of the Fisheries and Aquaculture Division.

SOUNDBITE (ENGLISH), Manuel Barange, Director of the Fisheries Aquaculture Division at FAO: “First, from a physical point of view, a warm ocean generates more storms, higher frequency and intensity of storms and hurricanes that we have seen recently in different parts of the world. Sometimes fishers don't have time to go back to the harbour. But also, climate change is affecting distribution of resources, so it is very possible that some fishers need to go further offshore to find the fish and therefore becoming more exposed to what is happening in the weather and climate sphere. All those elements make fishing very dangerous and it's very important that we provide support to fishers to reduce that casualty rate.”

Barange highlighted that FAO has proposed a series of actions designed to support resilience across aquatic systems, including the aquaculture sector, to enable sustainable growth while leaving no one behind, especially the communities that depend on the sector. This initiative is called Blue Transformation.

As part of this strategic vision, FAO is running a programme to train fishers and help spread crucial safety standards among fishing communities in places like the Caribbean, East Africa, Asia, and the Near East. The Organization also provides equipment to help fishers respond to emergencies.

FAO also works with other stakeholders (other UN agencies, governments) to make sure that safety at sea is connected to the working conditions of fishers, making them an integral part of fisheries management, said Barange.

SOUNDBITE (ENGLISH), Manuel Barange, Director of the Fisheries Aquaculture Division at FAO: “Managing a fishery is not just about managing ecologically, it's also managing it economically and socially, and safety at sea, and the safety and the conditions of work of those operating, is part of the management of the fishery, and that's what FAO supports through the Blue Transformation.”

The design and construction of the SL23 and SL20 boats were made possible through the funding of the Norwegian Government-financed FAO Trust Fund project on "Responsible use of fisheries and aquaculture resources for sustainable development," with a cost allocation of approximately LKR 9 million.

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