BR Karlsen is a traditional fishing company specializing in whitefish and salmon, and is also a co-owner of several coastal fishing vessels. The company has been located on Husøy in Senja since 1932 and is now run by the third generation. In 2001, the company was the first in Norway to start the production of organic salmon, and today it produces both organic salmon and smolt, in addition to traditional whitefish production such as salted fish, fresh fish, and by-products. This week, the company was unanimously approved by the extraordinary general assembly as a new industrial partner in SFI Dsolve.
In addition to BR Karlsen, the two coastal fishing vessels "Østkapp" (10.99m) and "Vardøyfisk II" (13m) were also brought in as new partners. The vessels, owned by respectively Øystein Enoksen and Brynjar Bangsund (photo), both operate from Vardø, fishing with auto line and traditional hand-baited longline. With their inclusion in Dsolve, the project strengthens its resources for further testing of biodegradable materials in coastal line fishing within Research Area 3.
The inclusion of a production and sales company in the consortium, which is vertically integrated with fisheries and aquaculture, will further add competence to several research areas on issues related to e.g. promotion of more eco-friendly produced fish products and consumer preferences.