Our Vessel
Kawatea
Our Vessel
The Kawatea name refers to the arrival of daylight, the dawn, the horizon of a new day.
It opens the doors to knowledge and the thought to pursue the course for the blossoming of the fruits, the seeds of life. They flourish with the dawn and daylight.
The ability to see brings hope to those who seek hope. It gives hope to develop for those who seek development.
The Kawatea is a 38 metre potting vessel which is home to a dedicated crew of 16 who spend six weeks at sea during each trip out in the Southern Ocean.
The vessel is packed with facilities and features that enables harvesting to occur in the most sustainable and ethical way possible.
Sustainability
A longstanding commitment to sustainable practices
Traditional fishing methods unfortunately impact unwanted species, such as seabirds. Okains Bay Seafood prides itself on being industry leaders when it comes to bird protection. Due to the innovative nature of our potting method, all risk to seabirds is neutralised. The result is zero seabirds being harmed during the process of setting or hauling.
The goal for Okains Bay Seafood is to continuously minimise their impact on the environment. To get there, the company strives to make decisions in every area of the business that is best for the planet.
Aside from investing in carbon reduction, Okains Bay Seafood upholds its own Carbon Commitment; every tonne of fish caught by the company has a corresponding tonne of Co2 removed from the atmosphere. To assure credibility, all removals are measured and processed by industry leaders CarbonCrop.
There is a deep respect for the fish harvested, recognising that they are a gift from the sea. Through constant improvement and innovation in the way fish are processed the business aims to use every part of the fish. The business has developed a range of products, including pet food supplements that enable the full potential of each fish to be realised.
Our Crew
The crew is the lifeblood of Okains Bay Seafood and the Kawatea. It takes a special kind of person to brave the harsh conditions of the Southern Ocean for up to six weeks at a time.
This is deeply respected and the crew is well looked after in return for their efforts. It is a very rare occurrence to have staff turnover, with most of the current team having been with the business for over 10 years.
Charlie Priest – Captain of the Kawatea
Andrew Grey – Captain of the Kawatea
We have refined a longstanding traditional method of fishing down to a fine art.