CCGS Alfred Needler
Encyclopedia
CCGS Alfred Needler is an offshore fishery science vessel operated by the Canadian Coast Guard
.
CCGS Alfred Needler was constructed in 1982 at Ferguson Industries Limited, Pictou
and commissioned into the Department of Fisheries and Oceans
as CSS Alfred Needler. She was named after eminent Canadian fisheries scientist Dr. Alfred Needler
who developed a method of accurate fish counts from small surveys.
She was transferred into the Canadian Coast Guard
in 1995 after CCG was merged into DFO and took over the department's fleet of research vessels and renamed CCGS Alfred Needler. The vessel is primarily used as a research platform by the Science Sector of DFO, as well as other departments and agencies in the Government of Canada.
The Alfred Needler is used by Canada and the Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Organization
(NAFO) to conduct fisheries surveys; as such, she retains the configuration of a commercial trawler, although her fish holds are converted to laboratory space. The samples collected are used to study the population and health of various species of ocean life.
CCGS Alfred Needler is part of CCG Maritime Region and is homeported at CCG Base Dartmouth, although she is often alongside at the Bedford Institute of Oceanography
. She is one of several fishery research vessels operated by the Government of Canada to monitor migratory fish stocks in the North Atlantic
.
CCGS Alfred Needler experienced an engine room fire on 30 August 2003. There were no casualties although the ship sustained $1.3 million in damage. The cause of the fire was an oil leak in an incorrectly repaired turbocharger.
In September 2009 the Department of Fisheries and Oceans announced invitations for contracts to replace several of the Coast Guards research vessels, including the Alfred Needler.
Her replacement will be larger, 67 metres in Length.
She will be staffed by a crew of 25, and will be able to carry an additional staff of 18 scientists.
She is scheduled to be completed in 2012.
Canadian Coast Guard
The Canadian Coast Guard is the coast guard of Canada. It is a federal agency responsible for providing maritime search and rescue , aids to navigation, marine pollution response, marine radio, and icebreaking...
.
CCGS Alfred Needler was constructed in 1982 at Ferguson Industries Limited, Pictou
Pictou, Nova Scotia
Pictou is a town in Pictou County, in the Canadian province of Nova Scotia. Located on the north shore of Pictou Harbour, the town is approximately 10 km north of the larger town of New Glasgow....
and commissioned into the Department of Fisheries and Oceans
Fisheries and Oceans Canada
Fisheries and Oceans Canada, frequently referred to as DFO , is the department within the government of Canada that is responsible for developing and implementing policies and programs in support of Canada's economic, ecological and scientific interests in oceans and inland waters...
as CSS Alfred Needler. She was named after eminent Canadian fisheries scientist Dr. Alfred Needler
Alfred Needler
Alfred Walker Holinshead Needler, CM, OBE, FRSC was a Canadian scientist, administrator, diplomat and statesman...
who developed a method of accurate fish counts from small surveys.
She was transferred into the Canadian Coast Guard
Canadian Coast Guard
The Canadian Coast Guard is the coast guard of Canada. It is a federal agency responsible for providing maritime search and rescue , aids to navigation, marine pollution response, marine radio, and icebreaking...
in 1995 after CCG was merged into DFO and took over the department's fleet of research vessels and renamed CCGS Alfred Needler. The vessel is primarily used as a research platform by the Science Sector of DFO, as well as other departments and agencies in the Government of Canada.
The Alfred Needler is used by Canada and the Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Organization
Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Organization
The is an intergovernmental organization with a mandate to provide scientific advice and management of fisheries in the northwestern part of the Atlantic Ocean...
(NAFO) to conduct fisheries surveys; as such, she retains the configuration of a commercial trawler, although her fish holds are converted to laboratory space. The samples collected are used to study the population and health of various species of ocean life.
CCGS Alfred Needler is part of CCG Maritime Region and is homeported at CCG Base Dartmouth, although she is often alongside at the Bedford Institute of Oceanography
Bedford Institute of Oceanography
The Bedford Institute of Oceanography is a major Canadian government ocean research facility located in Dartmouth in the Halifax Regional Municipality in Nova Scotia. The Bedford Institute of Oceanography is the largest ocean research station in Canada...
. She is one of several fishery research vessels operated by the Government of Canada to monitor migratory fish stocks in the North Atlantic
Atlantic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about , it covers approximately 20% of the Earth's surface and about 26% of its water surface area...
.
CCGS Alfred Needler experienced an engine room fire on 30 August 2003. There were no casualties although the ship sustained $1.3 million in damage. The cause of the fire was an oil leak in an incorrectly repaired turbocharger.
In September 2009 the Department of Fisheries and Oceans announced invitations for contracts to replace several of the Coast Guards research vessels, including the Alfred Needler.
Her replacement will be larger, 67 metres in Length.
She will be staffed by a crew of 25, and will be able to carry an additional staff of 18 scientists.
She is scheduled to be completed in 2012.
External links
Case Study: Maintenance failures and the need for current manuals, Auditor General of CanadaAuditor General of Canada
The role of the Auditor General of Canada is to aid accountability by conducting independent audits of federal government operations. The Auditor General reports to the House of Commons, not to the government...