In this regard, Ri Yong Ho, chief of the marine institute of the university, told KCNA:

Researchers provided sci-tech foundation for building various modern plastic ships in an industrial way and equipped the Thongchon Jisong Plastic Dockyard with the shipbuilding process.

On this basis, the dockyard built multi-functional plastic fishing boats for the first time. The multi-functional plastic fishing boat is 1.3 times faster in sea speed and two times higher in maximum loading capacity, as compared with iron ships of the same displacement and power output.

Its monolithic and smooth hull is free from incrustation by shellfish and seaweeds and needs no repair at the dock.

It is designed to effectively fish with various tackles like trawl, purse net, gill net and set net under any conditions.

The plastic fishing boats are now run by several fishery stations in the east coast of the country.

It is planned to build various shapes of plastic fishing boats including tens of meters-long tuna catcher.