What Crew Members Say About Norwegian-Gannet

The fishing vessel 'Norwegian Gannet' has been penalized with a fine exceeding one million Norwegian crowns (approximately $85,000) due to violations in salmon harvesting practices. It is essential for salmon to be rendered unconscious using an electric stunner during harvesting, but the Norwegian Gannet was found to have reduced the stunner's power significantly—from the required 110 volts down to a range of 30 to 50 volts. This modification was made without proper technical documentation verifying that the reduced power would effectively achieve the same level of stunning. The Norwegian Food Safety Authority has indicated that this infringement could have led to prolonged suffering for numerous fish, marking the case as particularly serious.

On November 26, 2018, at approximately 11 a.m., the newly launched factory trawler "Norwegian Gannet" faced an unexpected crisis at the Coast Center Base AS in Ågotnes. As the vessel was preparing to enter the floating dock, a sudden technical malfunction prompted an immediate retreat order. Shortly thereafter, the dock began to tilt precariously before ultimately submerging completely. Fortunately, the trawler itself remained undamaged and was instructed to anchor while awaiting further instructions. The crew aboard the "Norwegian Gannet" consisted of 18 individuals along with one personnel member from the CCB base, totaling 19 people on board. This floating dock, originally constructed for the Royal Navy in 1911/12 at the renowned Wallsend Yard along the Tyne River near Newcastle, previously operated under the designation "Medway Dock AFD4" for many years. After serving its purpose in the UK, it was sold and underwent renovations before being transferred to Sweden and later Norway. Prior to the incident, the dock had been mainly inactive since its relocation from Lakevåg in summer 2017, as its new owners at CCB Base embarked on extensive refurbishments aimed at revitalizing its operations. Despite months of rigorous testing and repairs meant to ensure a smooth first docking maneuver, the unexpected event unfolded just as the "Norwegian Gannet" was set to complete her docking process. The ship ultimately docked safely at Vindenes at 12.15 p.m. later that day, following the incident. The NSSR lifeboat "Kristian Gerhard Jebsen II" was also present to assist during this occurrence. For further details, including images and videos of the event, you can check out the following reports: [Fiskeribladet](https://fiskeribladet.no/tekfisk/nyheter/?artikkel=63779), [Sysla](https://sysla.no/maritim/vi-var-pa-vei-inn-dokken-da-vi-fikk-beskjed-om-evakuere/), [Sysla](https://sysla.no/maritim/sa-dokken-ga-ned-plutselig-la-den-seg-pa-siden-og-gikk-til-bunns/), [NRK](https://www.nrk.no/hordaland/flytedokk-velta-_-ein-person-hamna-i-sjoen-1.14311696), and [BT](https://www.bt.no/nyheter/lokalt/i/Rx7wz5/Flytedokk-sank-ved-CCB-basen).