Ole Torrissen, PhD.
Occupation:
Principal Research Scientist at Institute of Marine Research, Bergen, Norway
Professor at Nord Universitet, Bodø, Norway
Owner of Maricult AS
Born in a fishing community in Northern Norway (Halsa, Meløy municipality, Nordland) where fishing was the occupation of the adult males in the family. At age when kids normally get bicycles – we got our first rowing boat. Our favorite playground was the purse seiner N-7-ME Martha, owned by my grandfather, my uncle and my father.
I got my first summer job at age 13 as a galley boy on the purse seiner N-540-ME “Ole Torrissen” fishing herring in the fjords of Finnmark.
This ship was built by the German Navy in 1942 and given the name V 6301 KREBS. The Norwegian government confiscated her in 1945. She was sold and rebuilt as a whale hunter Suderøy X and hunted whale in Antarctica. In 1962 she was bought by my family and rebuilt again and this time as purse seiner and given the name of my grandfather “Ole Torrissen”.
I worked onboard “Ole Torrissen” for 10 summers fishing herring and capelin in the Barents sea.
My professional career have been research and research management. I have worked at the Institute of Marine Research since 1978, working mainly with aquaculture research. I also teach aquaculture at the University Nord in Bodø.
Sailing the North West Passage has been a dream, a dream I will realize during the summer 2017. I will sail from Bergen, Norway on May 1st and follow the wake of the Vikings over to Vinland (Newfoundland) and then sail through the North West Passage using the route by Roald Amundsens Gjøa (1903-1906). I do not intend using 3 years, but will complete within 4 months.
