TEHRAN- The director-general of Fisheries Office of Iran Fisheries Organization (IFO) announced the preparation of a five-year plan for the modernization and rebuilding of the country's fishing fleet.

Mokhtar Akhoundi said according to this plan, vessels that are more than 20 years old have the priority for renovation and reconstruction and receiving facilities.

Stating that currently the largest navy and most ports in the country are related to fishing activities, he said the fishing fleet with about 11,500 fishing vessels, including 3,400 Lenj boats, 8,000 boats and 125 ships owned by the private and cooperative sectors are under the planning, supervision and management of the IFO.

Last week, Secretary of the Iranian Merchant Mariners Syndicate (IMMS) Saman Rezaei said buying new ships and the renovation of the country’s existing maritime fleet is an important necessity for developing the maritime trade.

“Older ships have higher depreciation and maintenance costs and lower safety, so buying new ships and renovating the existing ones is a very important necessity for the country's maritime sector,” the portal of the Ports and Maritime Organization (PMO) quoted Rezaei as saying.

According to the official, an aging fleet will have several disadvantages and challenges including low safety, transportation restrictions, non-compliance with current requirements and standards, and high maintenance costs.

Rezaei has made the remarks referring to the Transport and Urban Development Ministry’s new plan for the development of a roadmap for improving the quality of the maritime transport fleet and the country’s northern and southern ports.

“The equipment of the country’s ports as well as our maritime fleet have been worn out due to sanctions and unfavorable economic conditions, and in recent years we have not been able to buy new ships and renovate the national fleet,” he said.

Noting that in addition to the purchase of new and up-to-date ships, the transfer of technology for the construction of such ships should be a priority as well, he added: “This view is very important and necessary so that we can have better performance in the field of the marine industry and shipbuilding in the future.”

The official further emphasized that specialized manpower is another important issue that should be considered in the maritime field, saying: "Efficient manpower in the maritime and port fields is a very important issue that the country needs due to its high existing capacities."

Rezaei said that having smart vessels is another issue that the country's maritime transport sector will need in the very near future, adding that eliminating the backlog in the shipbuilding industry will not be easily compensated and one of the solutions to do so is using new technologies, including the technology of building smart commercial vessels.

MA/MA