The jury behind the Nor-Fishing Innovation Awards has slimmed down this year’s applications to just three finalists, and the board of the Nor-Fishing Foundation will select the winner, with the award to be presented at Nor-Fishing 2024.
The members of the jury are Kari Lisbeth Fjørtoft from Hofseth International AS (formerly Møreforsking AS), Oddvar Staulen from Innovation Norway, Kjell Maroni from FHF and Jan Henrik Sandberg from The Norwegian Fishermen’s Association. The head of this year’s jury was Oddbjørn Rygvold Rødsten.
The three selected finalists are Mørenot Fisheries, Ava Ocean and Norseye.
Mørenot Fisheries has developed Semicircular Ground Gear (SSG) which lifts trawl gear to have minimal seabed contact, while reducing the amount of the fish escaping under the trawl. This contributes to both increased fishing efficiency, reduced towing time, lower fuel consumption and reduced impact on the seabed. The concept has been tested in flume tanks, in full scale research fishing, and most recently also in commercial fishing with good results.
Ava Ocean has developed a new concept for harvesting shellfish and other organisms, without negative impact on the seabed. Ava Ray is a harvesting concept that can pick shells and other benthic animals from the seabed with high precision in a gentle and efficient manner. The concept has undergone thorough testing in recent years and can document good results.
This technology could contribute to reopening fishing areas for commercial fishing by allowing this to be carried out in a gentle way that does not damage the seabed and the environment in general, also enabling access to resources that are currently not utilised.
Norseye has developed a safety management system for commercial vessels that includes digital and operational safety management. The innovation lies in the link between a digital, app-based security management system in combination with a 24/7 operated emergency centre offering professional assistance. This addresses improved safety and preparedness at sea.
Norseye App makes available information that is critical in handling incidents such as key data about vessels, live information from relevant vessel sensors, emergency data from other vessels in the vicinity, as well as a staffed emergency center that can support the shipping company in the event of incidents before their own organization is established, and during the incident if desirable.
