About us

Non-profit organization International Small Vessel Recycle Project

What is small and medium vessel reuse?

In Japan, there are many types of boats (fishing boats, recreational boats, yachts, etc.) that can still be used but abandoned.

Our organization collects these abandoned ships, puts them on cargo ships, transports them to shipyards in Vietnam, performs engine maintenance and exterior refreshes. With the desire to provide Vietnam and Asian countries with low cost for reuse.

Applications of these types of boats include fisheries, river ferries, agricultural carriers, government patrol boats, lifeboats, sightseeing and recreational boats.

Therefore, we look forward to the understanding, support of everyone involved and your and your cooperation to keep this project going smoothly.

Our Story

In 2013, by chance, I met a young man from Vietnam who was studying at a university in Kobe. I also went to Halong Bay. There are many sightseeing boats, fishing boats and small boats coming and going, but I was worried that they were all wooden boats.

After returning to Japan, a young man from Vietnam said to me, “In Japan, there are many fishing boats and small boats that are not being used and are moored in ports and rivers. If possible, can we use them in Vietnam?”. The words were impressive and remained in my heart.

In the 70 years since the end of War, Japan has experienced economic growth at full speed and has achieved a top-class position in the world. However, due to the effects of the declining birthrate and aging population, and labor-intensive industries are experiencing a chronic labor shortage due to the aging of workers and a decrease in the number of young people entering the industry. It has been put in worring state.

The situation in the fishing industry is a typical example, and the average age of fishermen is rising, and it is not uncommon for them to be in their 70s and 80s. Under such circumstances, as the young Vietnamese said, many people have stopped seafaring, and fishing boats that can be used for decades to come are left moored at the port without being utilized. I understand the current situation very well. On the other hand, leisure boats, which were on the rise during the bubble period, have been neglected due to the aging of ship owners and high marina fees. It is said that these abandoned moored ships are destroyed and sunk during typhoons, and other circumstances. And are one of the causes of environmental destruction in harbors. In addition, most of these small boats are made of FRP (reinforced plastic), which is light and durable, and many of them have high-performance engines, and other great features, like high fuel efficiency, so they are still useful for fishing and coastal transportation. At this rate, there is no choice for them but to be scrapped and wait for disposal, which would be incredibly wasteful.

If we can re-purpose these Japanese-made, high-performance, unused small boats in Vietnam, we will be able to support the development of the Vietnamese fishery, which is dominated by wooden boats, and eventually contribute to the international community by passing on the technology of FRP boats and promoting personnel exchange. As a result, in the future I would like to have a wide range of activities in the Southeast Asian region.

Therefore, we visited fishing ports in Japan, asked people involved in the fishing industry about the current situation, and consulted with JICA and related ministries and agencies. Although there are many issues to be resolved, we are convinced that the possibilities are optimistic. At the same time, we received a request for multiple fishing boats from many parties related to the fishing industry in Vietnam. Henceforth, in order to obtain the support and cooperation of more people, and the guidance and approval of related ministries and agencies, we have decided to launch the Non-profit Organization International Small Vessel Recycle Project.

We ask for the understanding and support of everyone involved, and your cooperation would be greatly appreciated, so that our goals can be achieved.

February 1, 2015 Hideki Muraoh

Academic Foundation

The impact of the used ship market on the new shipbuilding industry

Author Panagiotis N. Stasinopoulos concludes in the research paper on “Return on Investment in New Shipbuilding and Used Ships with Transport Risk Portfolio Management – The Case of Raising Equity for Bulk Ships and Ships oil tankers” in 2011 (right image) as follows: Investing in a ship is an important decision for a shipping company or ship owner. The existence of a vibrant used vessel market with all types of vessels makes entry to the market easy and quick. However, they are also faced with the dilemma of choosing between new investment or buying used ships. (…). Research results show that only in a few exceptional cases can shipbuilding bring success and maximum utility value to investors.

Specifically: When the market arises, the demand for products/services increases, leading to an increase in the demand for ships of all kinds to supply the market. At this time, businesses/individuals have increased their purchases of vehicles to meet the needs of the market. The ship market became active due to the increased purchasing power of ships. Because of the availability and low price, the demand for used ships increases, when the demand increases, the cost of old ships increases, stimulating the demand for new shipbuilding. Shipyards must strive to improve the quality of ships at competitive prices so that customers can realize outstanding advantages when buying new ships. In other words, the development of the second-hand ship market will fuel the demand for new shipbuilding and the development of the shipbuilding industry.

Basics of the age of vessels

According to the report “Basics of the age of ships” published by the Faculty of Engineering at Tokyo University in November 1990 , the age of ships is defined as follows: “The life of a ship depends on many factors. element. The factors are divided into three groups: Natural laws (due to corrosion and material fatigue), performance factors and social impacts (e.g. port pollution depending on the type of vessel). , economic factors, investment and return on capital.”

Therefore, the decision to invest in a new or used vehicle is the final result after the process of analyzing and measuring the risks and the ability to recover capital of the business owner or the ship owner.

Experience in marine economic development from other countries

Research by author Tran Thuc Hieu, Fulbright Vietnam University shows that: There are only a few countries (Japan, Korea, China) that meet all the necessary conditions and seize the opportunity to develop. succeed and become the shipbuilding center of the world. Other countries around Vietnam have different paths to develop the shipping industry; Indonesia and Malaysia followed the path of restricting the import of used ships but were unsuccessful; The Philippines is open to foreign investors to develop the domestic shipbuilding industry, and at the same time allows private entities to import old ships to serve domestic needs; Taiwan came up from the road of repair instead of immediately building new; Thailand does not focus on developing the shipbuilding industry but invests in port infrastructure services. (…)

In order to build a marine economy, Vietnam first needs to update the technical standards applied by advanced countries in the field of ships, thereby adjusting and serving as a basis for assessing the quality of ships to suit the needs of the world. capacity and development level of Vietnam.

Regarding the technology of ship maintenance, repair and conversion, it is necessary to learn the model of upward development from repair similar to Taiwan. Taking human resource development as the key factor, moving to joint venture cooperation with countries with strengths in shipbuilding industry like the model applied by China, to build an industrial foundation.

Boosting the efficiency of used vessels by applying information technology to modernize fishing processes, as is the direction of Japan. This method is more efficient and cost-effective than modern investment in building a completely new ship.

Invest in port infrastructure and services to have the capacity to meet the growing scale of the number of ships not only serving the Vietnamese market, but also attracting international fleets to use the service. like the Thai way.

Current status of small and medium vessels

In Japan

There are many types of small boats (fishing boats, recreational boats, yachts, etc.) that can still be used, but for various reasons, they are abandoned at fishing ports and marinas.

These ships are divided into several categories: steel ships and FRP ships. Most of them are made of FRP (reinforced plastic), which is lightweight and long-lasting.

Used FRP ships can continue to be used for 30 to 50 years with only minor maintenance and modifications.

Forecast of abandoned vessels

An estimated 70,000 boats are abandoned at fishing ports, marinas, rivers, coasts, and more. throughout Japan (Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, National Vessel Survey 2018).

Reason for abandonment

Fishing ports: Fishermen age, catches decrease, crew shortage, illegal mooring in undesignated port areas.
The same is true for marinas, such as aging population, lack of crew, rising fuel costs, rising mooring costs, lack of maintenance work, lack of owner ethics. , etc.
To handle this situation, there are many difficulties when handling and shipping costs in Japan are very high (1 ship: 200,000 to 1 million yen).

Obstacles

Ships are abandoned at fishing ports, marinas, rivers, coasts, etc.
・ Disturbing the flow of ships,
・Spills, ship collisions, oil spills, etc. when natural disasters such as floods, storms, tsunamis occur
When there are natural disasters, boat accidents, affected seaport landscape and many other problems become frequent. There needs to be a way to change the status quo.

In Vietnam and other Asian Countries

Vietnam and other Asian countries are relying on old-fashioned steel-hulled and wooden ships for fishing and shipping.
Therefore, ISVR Organization offers a solution that benefits all parties by working for a not-for-profit.