Aurora Fisheries will begin operation of its new Trawler F.V Takapo in mid-2026.
Tersan Shipyard was awarded the contract to construct a groundbreaking vessel for Aurora Fisheries, a part of the Solander Group, to operate in New Zealand waters. The vessel, designed by Norway’s Skipsteknisk and constructed by Tersan in Türkiye, symbolises a new era for Solander, introducing cutting-edge advancements in energy efficiency and regeneration to New Zealand’s deep-sea fishing industry.
The Name and the Stars.
The F.V Takapo takes its name from Lake Tekapo, one of New Zealand's most iconic South Island landscapes. Nestled in the Mackenzie Basin and fed by glacial meltwater from the Southern Alps, Lake Tekapo is renowned for its extraordinary turquoise colour and the clarity of the skies above it – skies so dark and unpolluted that the area has been designated an International Dark Sky Reserve. It is a place defined by stillness, purity, and the vast southern night.
That connection to the night sky is carried directly into the vessel's identity. The four stars in the F.V Takapo logo represent the Southern Cross – the constellation that has guided navigators through the southern hemisphere for centuries, and which appears on the New Zealand flag as a symbol of the nation's place at the bottom of the world. As the Takapo heads south into sub-antarctic waters, those same stars will chart her course – a fitting emblem for a vessel committed to fishing some of the most remote and pristine ocean on earth.
F.V Takapo was formally blessed at Port Timaru on Saturday 4 July 2026, marking the vessel's welcome to New Zealand waters ahead of the start of her fishing operations. The ceremony brought together government, iwi, industry, and Japanese diplomatic and trade guests, alongside representatives from Aurora Fisheries and the wider Solander Group, to mark the end of the Takapo's long journey from Türkiye and the beginning of her working life on the South Island's East Coast.
The blessing was led by The Venerable Harvey Ruru, kaumātua and Archdeacon Emeritus of the Anglican Māori Diocese of Te Waipounamu, with Shane Jones MP, Minister for Oceans and Fisheries, also playing a key role in proceedings and lending his support to the occasion on behalf of the Government. The ceremony called on safe passage for the vessel and her crew as she prepares for deep-sea operations in New Zealand waters. Overseas guests included Makoto Osawa, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary, Embassy of Japan in New Zealand, and the visiting delegation from the Overseas Fishery Cooperation Foundation of Japan, the Japan Overseas Fishing Association, and a major Japanese seafood and fishing conglomerate, marking the occasion for the guests gathered to welcome the Takapo home. The dual karakia and Anglican blessing acknowledged the sea and those who will depend on her, and set the vessel on her course.
Aurora Fisheries CEO Paul Hufflett said the blessing was a significant milestone for the company, coming after more than two years of design and construction with Tersan Shipyard and Skipsteknisk. With the Takapo now moored at her new home port, the Aurora Fisheries team looks ahead to her first season fishing the waters she was purpose-built for. Guests were also given a tour of the vessel, taking in her state-of-the-art equipment and processing facilities, medical unit, cabins, and other crew facilities, before the day rounded off with lunch in the galley.
F.V Takapo Blessed at Port Timaru — July 2026
F.V Takapo Arrives in Timaru – July 2026
After a journey spanning half the globe, F.V Takapo has arrived in Timaru, marking the final leg of her voyage home to New Zealand waters. Having departed Tersan Shipyard in Türkiye following successful sea trials earlier this year, the 80-metre trawler has now crossed through international waters to reach her new home port on the South Island's East Coast. It's a moment the Aurora Fisheries team has been looking forward to since her keel was laid – seeing the Takapo not as renderings and photographs from a shipyard on the other side of the world, but as a vessel now moored on home soil, ready for the next chapter: fishing the waters her name and stars were always destined for.
F.V Takapo Starts Sea Trials – February 2026
Following her official launch at Tersan Shipyard in Türkiye in March 2025, F.V Takapo has reached another major milestone with the commencement of sea trials in February 2026. The 80-metre factory freezer trawler departed the shipyard and headed out into the Sea of Marmara — the body of water that connects the Black Sea to the Aegean and borders Tersan's shipyard in northwest Türkiye — where the vessel's systems, propulsion, and onboard equipment have been put through rigorous testing ahead of her delivery.
Sea trials are a critical final phase in the build process, confirming that the vessel performs to specification before she makes her voyage to New Zealand waters. The Aurora Fisheries team has been closely involved throughout this process, and we are pleased to report that trials are progressing well. We look forward to sharing further updates as F.V Takapo prepares for the next chapter of her journey.
F.V Takapo Official Launch – 14 March 2025
Tersan Launching Ceremony Video
VESSEL TYPE: Factory Freezer Trawler
LENGTH OVERALL (M): 80.0
BREADT (M): 15.40
CLASS: DNV+1A1, E0, TMON, Clean, “Sterntrawler”, Ice 1B
FLAG: New Zealand
Mehmet Gazioğlu, Managing Director of Tersan Shipyard, expressed pride in being the builder of this state-of-the-art vessel for Aurora Fisheries, emphasising its significance as the first Tersan-delivered vessel to New Zealand. The collaboration between Tersan Shipyard and Skipsteknisk, with their extensive experience in trawlers, instils confidence in Aurora Fisheries regarding this ambitious venture.
The vessel, adopting the ST-116XL design and measuring 80 metres in length and 15.4 metres in width, is tailored for single pelagic and demersal trawl operations targeting species such as Southern Blue Whiting, Jack Mackerel, Ling, Squid, and Hake in New Zealand waters. Boasting a freezer hold cargo capacity of 2135 m³ for graded products on pallets, it is equipped for efficient and sustainable fishing practices.
Aurora Fisheries’ CEO, Paul Hufflett, highlighted the company’s confidence in this significant step forward, underlining the experience and reputation of Tersan Shipyard and Skipsteknisk in constructing deep-sea fishing vessels. Scheduled for delivery in late 2025, it aims to replace the existing vessel, which, though having served the company well, was not originally designed for New Zealand waters.
The F.V Takapo will feature a state-of-the-art bridge and fish factory, ensuring maximum energy efficiency. With accommodation for up to 50 people, including spacious living areas and social amenities, the vessel emphasises both operational excellence and crew comfort.
Skipsteknisk’s history in designing vessels for New Zealand includes notable projects such as the fisheries research vessel “Tangaroa,” the factory trawler “Rehua,” and the ongoing construction of the research vessel “Kaharoa II.”
The collaboration between Tersan Shipyard, Skipsteknisk, and Aurora Fisheries marks a significant milestone in the evolution of deep-sea fishing technology, with F.V Takapo poised to lead the industry in the New Zealand region.
For more information:
www.skipsteknisk.no/news
tersanshipyard.com/en/news
