Dongwon Group Chairman Kim Nam-jung (left) and Minister of Oceans and Fisheries Hwang Jong-woo pose for a commemorative photograph at the departure ceremony for the vessel Danuri held at Dadae Port in Busan on the 29th. (Provided by Dongwon Group)
Dongwon Industries is introducing a new tuna purse seiner (a vessel that catches tuna using large nets) equipped with artificial intelligence (AI) technology to enhance fishing efficiency and strengthen crew safety.
Dongwon Industries announced that it held a departure ceremony on the 29th at Dadae Port in Busan for the new 2,000-ton class tuna purse seiner ‘Danuri’. Minister of Oceans and Fisheries Hwang Jong-woo, Dongwon Group Chairman Kim Nam-jung, and Dongwon Industries CEO Park Sang-jin attended the ceremony.
The Danuri is a state-of-the-art distant-water fishing vessel equipped with AI fish school detection capabilities. To this end, the vessel is equipped with two dedicated fish school detection drones that can automatically take off and land on a moving ship. Video images of the sea captured by the drones are transmitted to the control room, where they are analyzed in real time by AI, and are expected to improve fishing efficiency.
The Danuri is also equipped with advanced devices to protect crew safety. For the first time on a distant-water fishing vessel, a remote monitoring system has been installed, enabling onshore staff to monitor in real time the condition of key facilities such as the engine room and integrated situation room. In addition, living spaces, including cabin height and bed dimensions, have been designed more generously than existing standards, improving working and rest conditions for crew members who spend extended periods at sea.
Dongwon Industries has invested about KRW 300 billion over the past decade to replace aging vessels. The aging of domestic distant-water vessels has been cited as a factor undermining both fishing competitiveness and crew safety. In response, the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries has been supporting the construction of replacement vessels for obsolete fishing boats since 2019 through the “Distant-Water Fishing Vessel Safety Fund” program, providing up to 50% of construction costs as interest-free loans over 15 years. The Danuri is the first case to receive government support under this scheme. Including an additional 2,000-ton class purse seiner currently under construction and scheduled to depart next year, Dongwon Industries plans to accelerate fleet modernization with a total of eight next-generation purse seiners.
Lee So-jung
AI-translated with ChatGPT. Provided as is; original Korean text prevails.
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