Norwegian wellboat deployed in BC
The ship arrived in Campbell River in October last year, and will provide services related to the movement of fish and likely also government-mandated sea lice treatments. The vessel was built in 2001 by the Sletta Båtbyggeri AS in Mjosundet, Norway, and it has a fish hold of 650 m3. According to marinetraffic.com, the Roy Kristian was observed working on the coast of BC a week after arrival - moving at an average speed of 10 knots. It is 40.6m long and 9.6m wide, with a gross tonnage of 499t.
Marine Harvest Canada has previously brought two other wellboats over from Norway - the “Orca Chief” and the “Orca Warrior”- both built by Aas Mekaniske Verksted AS in Vestnes, Norway. The salmon farming company also recently started to utilize the services of a Vancouver- built wellboat owned by a Port Hardy-based aboriginal entrepreneur and commercial fisherman.
An article in the Norwegian newspaper Altaposten from last year explains that the Roy Kristian is operating for Marine Harvest Canada under a contract with the Stranda-based Intership AS, which has leased the vessel from its owner, Laponie Lucia AS. The vessel was obtained in early 2013 at a cost of just over NOK 50 million (~€5.5 million). Behind Laponie is Harald Volden, who is in the process of passing the reins to his son Håkon, who told the paper that “there are some very qualified people that are behind this company (Intership). They know the market and the needs and are very much future oriented”. He also pointed out that the contract rates for farmed salmon transport are higher in Canada than in Norway these days.
Intership is now building two new well boats in Turkey - each at a cost of approximately NOK 225 million (~€ 25 million), according to Sunnmørsposten. One of them- the “Inter Caledonia”- will be contracted to Marine Harvest in Scotland. Chairman of the Board of Intership is former Marine Harvest Canada boss Håvard Grøtvedt.
