Modern fishing vessel at work

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Seiner/trawler “Herøyhav” on Holmefjorden today 06.09.2025
Photo: Thorleif

F/V Herøyhav:

New Norwegian Trawler Herøyhav Marks Technological Advancement - The Fishing...

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No she is not overloaded, just long swells:

F/V "SLAATTERØY Photo credit: Eivind M Sævik

Slaatterøy – Halstensen – Bekkjarvik

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Unloading the last minke whale of the year in Ålesund in glorious weather and with temperatures above 24 degrees C.

“Kato”, at its home quay at Myklebust, Harøya. In Ålesund on Monday, the whaling ship delivers the last three animals caught this year’s season. Photo: Staale Wattø, smp.no

After a difficult start, the season picked up, and the total number of minke whales ended at 428, which is a slight increase from 414 last year. “Kato” and Dag Myklebust were responsible for the last catch of the season.
– There were ten vessels that caught this year. This year’s catching season was characterized by weather challenges at the start.
– We were a little behind last year at the start, but then it gradually picked up, he says, who is happy to see last year’s figures remain as the year with the lowest catch ever.

First-time whaling boy Daniel Myklebust Gausnes with his first whale aboard “Kato”. Photo: Submitted

It was completely hopeless to start this year, then there was neither whales nor weather. When there were occasional good conditions, there was no whales.
It has been good in the second half, says skipper Dag Myklebust on “Kato”.
– We started at Finnmarka, but there were no whales there for the simple reason that there was no food for the whales, there were no capelin. And there were no other places either, he says.
According to skipper Myklebust, the animals were in better condition towards the end of the season, although he says it is not normal, as it should be.
In total, “Kato” has shot 138 minke whales this season.

The skipper is pleased that there is a slight increase in the total number of minke whales.
– We are the ones who ensure that, says Myklebust, who is irritated by the amount of irrationality involved when choosing not to market whale meat nationally via the Norwegian Seafood Council.
“It has nothing to do with common sense. We can only console ourselves with the fact that it may come to others who have a better understanding of what they are doing,” he says.

Source: https://www.smp.no/nyheter/i/25QPVB/losser-aarets-siste-kval-i-aalesund
PS> Minke whales are not on the endangered species list:
Minke Whale | NOAA Fisheries

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Seiner/trawler “H ØSTERVOLD” in Ålesund today. Photo: Sven Arild Pedersen

BalticShipping.com

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Austral Odyssey is progressing nicely.
As of 20. May 2025:

5tbygg-mt-1115-l-austral-odyssey.2642/post-40640)
“AUSTRAL ODYSSEY” at Båtbygg this week. Photo: Sven Arild Pedersen

Now. Soon ready for her long trip home:

Photo: via the shipyard

Source: Austral Fisheries, Bygg nr. 9 ved Båtbygg, MT 1115 L "Austral Odyssey" | Norsk Skipsfarts Forum

PS: Delivery is on scheduled for around New Year 2026

Austral Odyssey - Marin Teknikk

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Compact coastal fishing vessels returning from the fishing grounds loaded to the mark:

“Myrebas” Photo: odd-remi simonsen79

Dag Ivar Knutsen AS - Om oss

“Frekøy Viking” northbound Tromsøysundet. Photo: Asimut

Here with the net full of herring:

This type of vessels are also useful for other than fisheries.
Here is "Frekøy Viking (ex. "Hovden Viking) on assignment for oil spill exercise:

2.4K views · 82 reactions | Hovden Viking og Stril Poseidon. Oljevernøving i...

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For the first time in over 30 years a Norwegian longliner has been fishing on the Grand Banks:

The crew of this boat made history: First in over 30 years

A special trip requires special t-shirts. Photo: Private

The famous fishing ground has recently reopened after being closed in the 1990s due to overfishing.
Fjellmøy with skipper Rune Ervik is the first Norwegian longline boat to be given the opportunity to engage in commercial fishing in the historic field.
– And this is far away, from Måløy to St. John’s it is approximately 2,200 nautical miles, that is, over 4,000 kilometers, the skipper reminds us.
Fortunately, for Fjellmøy, the trip was a success story.
And they brought home to Måløy a rare large catch.
– We had a big catch of halibut. If you look at the same type of boat in Norway, the allowed bycatch quota is around four tons in a whole year. Here we had over 30 tons in one trip, says Rune Ervik.

There was a big catch on Fjellmøy and the crew. Photo: Private

Dan Ove Leidval caught the biggest halibut. Photo: Private

– I think it’s fantastic to open a new door when the industry is under heavy pressure, both in terms of quota and area restrictions in all waters. Now we might get a new place to fish, as our grandparents did in their time, says Stig-Jarle Ervik, former owner and now operations manager of Fjellmøy – and father of Rune Ervik.

In addition, Rune Ervik believes it is important to take advantage of Norway’s quotas abroad:
– If we don’t use them, we could lose the right to them if Norway doesn’t fish its share. So we’re trying to take one for the team too, to assert Norway’s rights. It’s more important than ever, he emphasizes, and continues:
– It has been a challenging year as Fjellmøy under new owners came to new, smaller quotas. Therefore, we have all worked hard to make the result as good as possible. So it is gratifying that this is now, all in all, Fjellmøy’s best year ever. It is the result of several daring ventures, and talented people both at sea and on land.
Rune Ervik would like to finally thank both the boat and the crew for an absolutely fantastic effort.
– Due to various reasons, we were only 13 men instead of the usual 14 on this trip. There is a lot of work involved in handling halibut, so the effort from the gang this trip has been indescribable. They should rightly be allowed to call themselves Norway’s best fishermen with this effort. The Christmas holiday has never been more deserved.

Source: Mannskapet på denne båten ble historiske: Første på over 30 år - smp.no
Published: December 15, 2025 at 09:11Updated: 3 hours ago
(Behind paywall. Google translation)

The crew celebrated with self-composed song:

PS: They should probably not quit fishing for a singing career.

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There is an old saying from up north that goes; “Bror min han va heldig, han feska tel an sakk”. (freely translated; My brother was lucky, he fished until his boat sunk).
This one made it to shore with the"big catch" though:

Coastal Trawler “Piraya” heading toward Kristiansund with a full load, Jan. 2008.

Vessel information:
Radio signal: LMTJ Engine power: 1015 hp
Registration number: VA0095K Engine year of manufacture: 2001
Year of construction: 1983 Gross tonnage: 250 GT
Length: 38.7 meters Measurement certificate date: 22.09.2011
Width: 10.0 meters Registration date: 01.01.1983
Material: steel Type: covered

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Meh.

I fish in Alaska and the fishing here is just as good as when I started decades ago.

Management of the fishery is everything

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A new multi-purpose fishing vessel has just arrived at her home port after a long and hard trip from the building yard in Turkey:

New “Leinebris” at the quay on Leine.

Ampel space in the mess hall during the “open boat” on the new “Leinebris”.

The Moonpool – where nets and lines are set and pulled.

A tour of the factory at “Leinebris”. These are the freezers.

Crew comfort is well taken care of:
In the crew section, nothing has been spared. There is a cinema, gym, sauna and galley with a fireplace. And art on all the walls.
– Comfort is important, and we have emphasized that it should be homely. Those on board here have a tough job, and when they have time off they must be able to relax, says Lisa Leinebø Pinheiro:

New “Leinebris” - crew cabin.

New “Leinebris” – the fitness room.

The spa department on the new “Leinebris”
Photos: Svein Aam

On Tuesday, the new “Leinebris” docked at Leinøya after a grueling 14-day journey from the shipyard in Turkey, with a solid portion of waves.
The crew wants to go fishing as soon as possible, but the owner Paul Harald Leinebø insisted that the new boat should stop in Herøy - and it had to happen on Leinøya, not in Fosnavåg or at Mjølstadneset.
– This is where we come from!, says Paul Harald Leinebø, who brings the Uran family from Averøy with him on the ownership side.
– Yes, it’s great to be able to lie here for a couple of hours, so we can show off the boat. And I was really moved when it came in here, says daughter Lisa Leinebø Pinheiro, who, like almost the entire family, works in the shipping company.

• Like Christer Leinebø. He is a skipper and has brought the boat up from Turkey.

This is a big investment. How do you see the prospects now, when the quotas are so low?
– Times are a bit tough, but prices are rising, and we don’t look at it negatively. With this boat we have a lot of room to maneuver. We can fish with line, net and seine. We can produce fillets, and we have tanks for storing live fish. We should be able to deliver very good quality.
With him was Knut Arne Høyvik, who has a past as skipper on a previous edition of “Leinebris”.
– A fantastic shipping company has got a fantastic boat. It’s been 22 years since I stepped ashore. Since then, there has been quite a bit of development! I almost cried when I came on board here.
– What impresses you?
– It’s the volume. And the combination possibilities are unique.

Current and former skipper of “Leinebris” boats meet in the galley. Christer Leinebø and Knut Arne Høyvik. Photo: Svein Aam

Source: Stolte over nytt flaggskip - smp.no
Built at a Turkish shipyard from Norwegian design:
ST-158 Hybrid Leinebris | Skipsteknisk

A lot of the machinery and equipment are from the local district.
Vessel review (In Norwegian):

Nye «Leinebris» overlevert

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Whaler “Kato” waiting for opening of this year’s season:

Photo: Sven Arild Pedersen via NSF

https://www.shipspotting.com/photos/2857589

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Coastal seiner “Jens Kristian” looking for herrings now spawning in fjords along the Finnmark coast:

Photo: odd-remi simonsen79

Packed with tech

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And after the ongoing war with Iran

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Here is the “Storeggen av Aalesund” heading towards the fishing grounds at the Grand Banks this eavening:

The Storeggen of Aalesund is a replica of a Sunnmøre bank ship from the 1890s. Bank ships were sailing ships with decks and gaff rigs, built for deep-sea fishing. They were crucial for the great growth in fishing in the second half of the 19th century, and thus the strong growth that Ålesund experienced during the same period. Photo: Vasco Pinhol/ Viti
Source: Viti | Storeggen av Aalesund

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Håkjerring (Greenland shark) ready to give up her liver.

Photo: Magnar Lyngstad

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Noticed three large fishing boat in full dress in town today:

They were “Havfisk” (M-100-A, blt. 2025), “Havskjær” (M-300 A, blt. 2021): and on the other side of the pier, “Havstål” (M-400-A, blt. 2007),
They are all modern combined Seiner / Pelagic trawlers, belonging to Veibust Fiskeriselskap AS here in Ålesund.

I found out that it was a delayed naming ceremony for the “Havfisk”, which was delivered from Karstensens Skibsværft AS in Skagen, Denmark, in May last year, but went directly to the fishing grounds off Ireland to catch the quota of Blue whiting before the season ended.

Here is a report on the naming ceremony from the local newspaper, Sunnmørsposten:

“HAVFISK” Christened at Storneskaia: - A day of celebration for the entire maritime Ålesund.

After almost a year of operation, “Havfisk” from Veibust Fiskeriselskap was finally christened in glorious weather in central Ålesund:

The fishing boat “Havfisk” is christened at Storneskaia in Ålesund. Godmother Martine Veibust breaks the bottle on the first try.
Photo: Marius Simensen
On Saturday afternoon, shipowner Henning Veibust’s new fishing boat “Havfisk” was ceremoniously christened at Storneskaia.
Godmother and daughter Martine Veibust were in charge of the actual baptism, in front of a large crowd of both invited guests and curious onlookers:

– It’s absolutely fantastic. A very good day for everyone, said a clearly moved Veibust during the celebration, which was led by Arill Riise.
The shipowner did not hide the fact that the response exceeded expectations.
– I never thought so many people would come. This shows how much interest there is in the maritime environment here, he said.**
The new boat is the result of many years of work, and Veibust took the opportunity to extend a big thank you to everyone who has contributed.
– A fantastic job has been done. We have had many local suppliers on the team, which we are proud of, he said.

The new “Havfisk” is a 75.1-meter-long purse seiner/blue whiting trawler. It was built at Karstensens Shipyard in Skagen, Denmark, and was taken over by the owner in May last year.

Not skimping on anything

According to the owner, no expense has been spared in the equipment.
– This is a top-equipped boat, with no savings. We have invested in quality at every level, emphasized Veibust.

Here is a link to the building yard’s report on delivery in May 2025:

Newbuilding 477 - HAVFISK

PS: For those interested in more details about the “Havfisk”, there is a full suite of pictures with the report.