Conversion of offshore vessel into fishing vessel with a revolutionary shell catching method.

Fiskerstrand Verft AS signed a contract with the shipping company Tau Tech now Ava Ocean in December 2021 regarding the conversion of an offshore vessel into shellfish harvesters. The rebuilding started in January 2022. This pilot project will become a future catalyst for sustainable and environmentally friendly harvesting of resources from the seabed. Ava Ocean has developed a catch basket that will pick the shells gently from the seabed by using a pump system. A hangar has been built and, among other things, harvesting equipment, a factory and a freezer installed on board. The aim is to harvest 100-200 tonnes of Iceland scallop muscles per trip. The shell factory on board takes out both muscle and residual raw material from the shells, and the aim is to utilize everything.

After the conversion, MS “Arctic Pearl” goes to the Barents Sea in search of shellfish delicacy Iceland scallop.  The first and only vessel of its kind, crammed with new technology that may herald the start of a new era in harvesting by using the new method. 2022