AUSTRAL 1993.

[shipstamps]

In January 2008 French Southern and Antarctic Territories issued a MS of 2.50 Euro for “Campagne POKER” on the stamp and also in the margin of these ms is depict the factory ship AUSTRAL.
Comparing the ship depict with photo’s of her on the internet she is the same.

She was built as a stern trawler factory ship under yard No. B675/02 by Stocznia Gdynia S.A., Gdynia, Poland under a joint corporate ownership but operated and managed by Armement SAPMER, France, who is also the principal shareholder in the AUSTRAL.
Launched under the name AUSTRAL.
Tonnage 2.343 grt, 702 net, 1.134 dwt., dim. 76.61 x 14.60 x 6.10m.
Powered by two Sulzer V Oil 4 SA, 12-cyl. diesel engine, 3.500 bhp, speed 14.75 knots. Economical speed 10 knots. Bunker capacity 620m³.
Hold capacity 1.143m³. Can process and freeze 24 metric tons of fish/lobster via the tunnel procedure.
Crew 49.
1993 Completed.
Homeport Reunion, with fishing No. RU 692.717.
August 1993 christened at Reunion Island.


After completing, chartered by GAPAL (Government of TAAF for fishing on lobster at the Kerguelen Island, and in the off season used for long-line fishing.
Following a tradition, spanning three decades, the AUSTRAL spends the fishing season off Saint Paul and Amsterdam Island between December and April as a floating factory ship.
The crews fishing from small boats harvest the little red Saint Paul rock-lobster one of the most prized species in the world. The catch is processed on board the AUSTRAL.
Strict processing techniques have been recognised with EU authorisations and the lobsters are marketed not only in Reunion but also on European, American and Far-Eastern markets.
2006 Was she used in “Campagne POKER”, the aim of this “POKER campagne” was to know the real state of resource exploited since nearly thirty tears, to have a good idea of the future fish-stock potentials, and rules to be respected for a perpetuation of the resources. (durable management).
A coupling with the data of the most important and older data bases on southern fishing (PECHEKER) will make it possible to answer several questions of the scientific community.
The multiple data gathered on the non-commercial species will improve the study of biodiversity. Finally the cartography of the distribution of the species and their abundance per geographical sector will contribute to the modelling of the habitats important to preserve.


Source: Ships on Stamps CD-ROM A-D . info received from Mr. Jean-Louis Araignon. http://www.sapmer.com/index.php

[aukepalmhof]

Photo of the ship downloaded from the net.

2019 In service, same name and owners IMO No 9039262.

French Southern and Antarctic Territories 1996 4.30F sg 354, scott 219. And 2008 2.50 Euro sgMS?, scott?