DNV, the independent assurance and risk management provider, has teamed up with Ocean Sovereign to obtain French registration for the deployment of innovative fish farming vessel the Ocean Ark.

Ocean Ark, a patented advanced self-cleaning trimaran superstructure, was developed by Ocean Sovereign according to Marpol, Solas and IMO regulations. The vessel is designed with low density to operate in high offshore waters, drifting with the natural current and natural fish shoals. It is designed to ensure sufficient safety for the environment, fish and crew. The mobile nature of Ocean Ark will help to ensure the health and welfare of the fish and ensure that the fish are kept in their natural habitat.

DNV will support Ocean Sovereign with business-critical challenges and innovations, designed to prevent fish escape and reduce risk of technical failure in operation by delivering:

• Classification of the floating structure/vessel and marine systems
• Certification of mooring/dynamic positioning system
• Certification of aquaculture nets and systems
• Assessing operation and integrity controls during the design lifetime

To achieve this, DNV will work with Ocean Sovereign by setting up a regulatory framework to fulfil local requirements in alignment with rules and standards of the French authorities.

Aquaculture is the fastest growing food producing sector able to meet the nutritional needs of a growing world population. Deploying the innovative Ocean Ark vessel away from marine heatwaves, algae blooms, and storms – aquaculture’s three Achilles’ heels – aims to increase fish welfare, produce higher quality protein, and increase world fish production without increasing pressures on fish stocks and coastal habitats.

“Offshore fish production is based on a combination of two well-known concepts, fish farming and offshore technology, and therefore a cross-industry approach and know-how is needed,” explains Ocean Sovereign General Manager, Zeyd Fassi Fehri. “At Ocean Sovereign, we are happy to join forces with DNV and benefit from their knowledge gained through decades of experience in these two fields that will allow us to safely deploy the vessels. We believe that DNV’s extensive experience in offshore and fish farming will help us to play a key role in the deployment of our vessels under French Registration.”

In addition to its high-quality standards and being Europe’s largest market for salmon, France also  has one of the world’s largest maritime exclusive economic zones across the oceans.

“As well as sustainability and fish welfare, the inclusion of local communities is embedded into every Ocean Sovereign project. The deployment of the Ocean Ark offers many synergies and growth opportunities for the existing local aquaculture and fishing sector,” confirms Zeyd Fassi Fehri. “To seize these opportunities, agreements have been reached with well-established French aquaculture and fishing stakeholders and will be released shortly.”

“DNV is proud to safeguard innovative technology to deliver sustainable seafood products to consumers,” said Thomas Vogth-Eriksen, Global Aquaculture Director at DNV Supply Chain & Product Assurance. “As a global leader in advancing the safety, efficiency, and sustainability of a range of ocean-based industries, we are particularly pleased to support knowledge-driven solutions that contribute to the sustainable growth of the aquaculture sector.”