Project for Construction of the Multi-Purpose vessel for Outer Island Development in Tuvalu

OUTLINE OF THE PROJECT

In Tuvalu, about 60% of the population is concentrated in the capital, Funafuti, and the outer island economies depend on subsistence fishing. To narrow the gap between the capital and the outer islands, the government set up community fisheries centers on the outer islands to provide technical guidance, and the Manaui, provided by Japan in 1988, supported these activities and the transport of goods. However, after more than 30 years, it suffered frequent breakdowns and was out of service for more than five months in 2014 and about nine months in 2015. This project built a multipurpose vessel to replace the Manaui, aiming to promote fisheries and maintain and improve the lifeline to the outer islands through safe and stable operation.