The SEAFDEC Training Department (SEAFDEC/TD) organized open house event for M.V. PLALUNG in Rayong Province (14‒15 February 2022) and Chanthaburi Province (17‒ 18 February 2022) which located in the Eastern part of Thailand. This event aims to promote of technology on M.V. PLALUNG which reducing impacts of environment and fuel consumption from fishing activities. The target audiences who visited this event are fishermen and relevant stakeholders. The technologies on the vessel were presented and demonstrated such as fish handling technology, equipment for reducing manpower for fishing operation and so on. The audiences will get new experiences and might be consider and select the valuable from this observation for their fishing vessel and fishing operation in the future.
M.V. PLALUNG is a wooden fishing vessel with specifications including 29.98 GT, 18.32 m length, 4.40 m breadth, and 1.71 m depth. The vessel was improved in 2021 as a trawler prototype to support SEAFDEC/TD training and research activities along the coastal areas of Thailand. The vessel was modified in accordance with the Work in Fishing Convention No. 188 (C188) which promotes decent working conditions for workers in the fisheries sector. Moreover, the new technology on optimizing energy and fuel efficiency to cause low impacts on the environment as well as instruments to reduce manpower during fishing operation including onboard fish handling and preservation were installed on the vessel.