Norwegian scallop fishing innovators are ready to take delivery of Ava Pearl, currently in the final stages of its conversion refit at the Fiskerstrand yard in western Norway.
Ava Ocean trialled its highly innovative gentle scallop harvesting systems on board the Arctic Pearl. This replacement vessel is a former shrimp trawler that operated subsequently in the oil industry as a seismic vessel. Now it’s almost ready to return to active fishing this year, as a platform to the deployment of Ava Ocean’s non-invasive harvesting technology.
Last year the company attracted new investment as Wilstar Innovate AS and the Birkeland family came on board as new shareholders. The resulting injection of funds goes itno fuelling the development of the company’s scallop fishery in the Barents Sea and for future international growth. Parts of the capital increase were completed last this autumn together with existing shareholders led by Norselab, Hofseth International and Cinus.
‘These are investors with a deep understanding of the ocean, challenging fisheries and with long-term investment horizons. For us this is as much about expertise and collaboration as it is about capital,’ said Stian Tennfjord, chair of the Ava Ocean board.
Wilstar Innovate is an impact investment company based in Oslo and owned by the Awilhelmsen Group, a family-owned Norwegian company with strong roots in maritime activity and a long term investment perspective. The Birkeland family, based in Austevoll, has long experience in Norwegian fisheries and foresees strong potential in the northern areas.
‘Since the 1980s we have been interested in the scallop fishery in the Barents Sea. What Ava Ocean has achieved with its technology and fishery so far is very exciting. We strongly believe in the project and look forward to being part of the journey,’ said Arne Birkeland.
The patented harvesting technology enabled the reopening of the historic Arctic scallop fishery in the Barents Sea in 2023 after a more than 30-year ban was introduced to outlaw conventional dredging
