Unprecedented in Chile, two IFOP scientific vessels set sail to investigate anchovy
February 24th, 2025
The Abate Molina and Dra. Barbieri vessels set sail from the Port of Valparaíso on February 15 and for 27 days will travel along the coasts of the Atacama and Coquimbo regions to conduct a hydroacoustic prospecting cruise to assess the anchovy stock present in the study area.
A team of 43 IFOP professionals and technicians made up of researchers, biological samplers, scientific observers, acoustic and electronic observers, operators of scientific equipment, crew members, pilots, captain, and cooks will be in charge of collecting the data that will allow us to know the state of the resource.
The captain of the Abate Molina is Takashi Abe and the captain of the Dra. Barbieri is Jorge Acevedo. The head of the scientific cruise is the fisheries engineer, Francisco Leiva.
Jorge Castillo, senior researcher at IFOP, referred to the participation of the two vessels in this cruise: “On this occasion, the characteristics of the BC Dra. Barbieri will be tested to prospect with acoustic equipment in the coastal sectors, where a significant fraction of the anchovy is located, assuming the function that was performed until now by artisanal purse seiners leased and equipped by IFOP.
This vessel, built at ASENAV-Valdivia and put into operation in 2024, was designed to evaluate with acoustic equipment the biomass of pelagic fish located in the coastal fraction that the Abate Molina cannot normally navigate, due to its maneuvering and draft limitations. We are confident and optimistic that the test will be successfully passed, since this vessel has very good maneuverability and an adequate draft to approach the coast with safe navigation. We will use all its acoustic detection capabilities, composed of state-of-the-art digital scientific echo sounders with five frequencies (38, 120, 200, 70 and 333 kHz) in addition to an omni-directional sonar, which allow us to study the biomass, distribution and behavior of fish and plankton. Its silent vessel characteristics, complying with international standards, cause the least alteration in the behavior of fish located near the surface. It also has oceanographic equipment for sampling the physical conditions of the sea and zooplankton.
Also noteworthy is the capacity to transmit significant volumes of data between the two ships through satellite systems, which will allow for improved post-processing times.
In this way, the BC Dra. Barbieri is fully integrated into the functions for which it was designed and built, fully justifying the investment made by the country, complementing the Abate Molina in the scientific, fishing and oceanographic research required by the fishing authority.”
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