Moroccan authorities have contracted a shipyard company in Huelva, southern Spain, to repair the governmental oceanographic research vessel.
Rabat – The ship “Al Amir Moulay Abdallah,” built in the framework of Moroccan-Japanese cooperation, provided oceanographic services to the Moroccan Government and has severely deteriorated in recent years.
National Institute for Fisheries Research (INRH) acquired the ship in 2001.
According to INRH, the “Al Amir Moulay Abdellah” Research Ship is dedicated to small pelagic (fish living in waters near the surface below 200 meters deep) surveys and oceanographic campaigns.
The oceanographic campaigns allow for the collection and monitoring of the main parameters of the marine environment, and the eggs and larvae of the pelagic species.
According to Huelva información, the ship arrived in Huelva on August 13. Spanish company, Desarrollos Navales Astilleros De Huelva SL will carry out the repairs. The company specializes in the repair and maintenance of ships.
Repairs to the ship will include the application of high-pressure water jetting on the entire ship’s structure. Water jetting will serve to remove the significant amount of oxidation damage to the ship due to the salinity of the environment.
The Spanish company will carry out further repairs on the ship, such as painting, treatment of the steel structure, and the updating of all its mechanics and pipe networks.
Francisco Gallardo, Head of Development Shipyards of Huelva, told Huelva Information, “what we do now is try to repair broken things; for example, when we hoisted the ship, some cables were broken due to the ship’s long-time neglect and lack of maintenance.”
Huelva informacion reports that the ship’s repair will take 25 days, the equivalent of about 5,000 hours of work.
