SUSTAINA-BULBS

In the last years, Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO) has published a manual for artisan fishermen in developing countries so they can count with some guidelines for designing and optimising their vessels as well as improving fishing activity and assure sustainability of this practice. In this publication (Fuel savings for small fishing vessels: A manual, 2012), they identify the main principles of fuel savings: selection of the engine power, the ship hull shape and the service speed.

In this context, our project aims to improve the ship hull shape by the introduction of a bow bulb. This appendix reduces the wave resistance of the vessel and so, its corresponding power requirements. The result is a reduction of fuel consumption.

We propose to develop a bulb prototype to be fitter in a selected FAO fishing vessel design, construct the model with and without the bulb and optimize and validate its efficiency by numerical simulations and experimental towing tank tests. We will publish the geometry for this bulb and how to adapt it to different small fishing vessels explaining the required techniques.

This project encourages small-scale fisheries sector improving the vessels and reducing costs for the fishermen, but the consequences have a greater impact on environment.

Reduction of fuel consumption implies less pollution to the seas. Moreover, the project encourages local and artisanal fishing, which means a controlled exploitation of the ocean resources.

Artisan fishermen communities contribute to sustainability. They care for the sustainability of resources and they create a balance of the incomes in the territory. Therefore, they reinforce as well local communities.