Sustainable harvesting from the seabed

In Norway, dredging for shellfish has been illegal since 1992, when fishing for Iceland scallops in the Barents Sea caused the population to collapse completely. Thirty years later, the Norwegian authorities have reopened harvesting of this scallop delicacy, thanks to new technology developed by Ålesund-based Ava Ocean, formerly TAU Tech.

In autumn 2022, an 85-metre shellfish harvesting vessel, converted from an offshore service vessel, sets course for the Barents Sea and makes history as the first vessel equipped with new harvesting technology. The vessel has its own processing plant and a crew of 24.

The seabed is teeming with seafood species that are not being used as the healthy, delicious ingredients they are. The Ålesund-based company's innovative technology can harvest this seafood gently and selectively, with the potential to transform an entire industry worldwide. Today, bottom trawling is the most common harvesting method, and it causes severe damage to vulnerable underwater ecosystems.

'The opportunities are vast because there have been no viable alternatives – until now. In most countries apart from Norway and Iceland, large-scale bottom dredging is still common. Here in Norway, shellfish remain an untapped resource because bottom dredging is prohibited,' explains Øystein Tvedt, CEO of Ava Ocean.

Our customer adviser Kari-Anne Lade Gjørvad in Møre og Romsdal praises the entrepreneurs' enthusiasm and determination to develop a new, sustainable method for harvesting from the seabed gently and at scale.

'A successful solution could revolutionise fisheries worldwide and ensure the raw material is fully utilised without damaging areas of the seabed,' she points out.

'We could not have come this far without the support we have received from Innovation Norway along the way. We have met a team who believed in us and our solutions, and who provided financial support and expertise to help us realise our plans,' says Tvedt.

'For a startup, it is incredibly motivating to work with supporters who believe in what we want to achieve just as much as we do,' he adds.

Ava Ocean received a Startup grant in 2016 and has since received a total of NOK 18 million from us to develop the first pilot facility for Iceland scallop harvesting. Our advisers became involved early in the project and helped define the development pathway.

'They have been with us every step of the way. We had a constructive dialogue and received guidance from the Innovation Norway team for two years before we actually applied for funding,' says Tvedt.

In addition to innovation grants and advisory, the company has benefited from our financing partnership with Eksfin.

'It has been a major strength for the project that, in addition to innovation support, we have secured loan financing from Eksfin and the local bank Sparebanken Vest,' says Tvedt.