The company that would later become Fiskevegn was established in Barmen in 1968. AS Fiskevegn was founded on January 10th 1973 at Vederhus in Selje municipality. In 1982, the company moved to its current location in Flatraket, with the open waters of Stadhavet right on our doorstep. Many of our employees have extensive experience from working on board fishing vessels, both inland and abroad. This practical experience and knowledge remain an important part of who we are and how we develop our products and solutions.
AS Fiskevegn was started in 1973 by the founders Helge Solheim and Bodvar Vetrhus. Around the turn of the millennium, the company had approximately 90 employees, making it the largest employer in the municipality of Selje. Today, we are based in Flatraket, with a branch office in Ålesund.
Our Ålesund branch was established in the late 1980’s as a sales office.
In the first half of the 1990’s, we established partnerships with sales agents in New Zealand and in Seattle.
In 1999, the subsidiary Best Fishing Gear (BFG) was established. BFG develops and manufactures mechanical solutions for the fishing industry.
In the early 2000’s, we established the joint venture Magistr Fiskevegn Group (MFG) in Latvia. Today, MFG manufactures materials and products used in our production and throughout our value chain. MFG is a subsidiary in which AS Fiskevegn own 50% of the shares.
From 2000, we have played an active role in the development of fishing for toothfish in the Southern Ocean. We are proud members of COLTO (Coalition of Legal Toothfish Operators). Our involvment in the Southern Ocean toothfish fishery has been a journey of continous development. In close cooperation with customers and interest organisations, we have developed products and solutions that contribute to more sustainable fishing while reducing negative impatcs on the marine environment and wildlife.
This innovative work has made us the world’s leading supplier to this market.
In 2009, we developed the X-clip, a reinforced design offering improved performance compared with the previous generation. In 2015, this design was further developed into the ToughGrip clip, providing additional reinforcement and durability.
We also changed the impregnation process in 2009 and moved away from the use of hot tar. This resulted in a reduced negative impact on the environment in the ocean, as well as improved working environment.
In 2010, we worked closely with the manufacturer of hooks to develop an improved hook with thicker string, to meet the requirements of our customers.
For more than 15 years, we have been involved in a development project aimed at preventing whales from taking catch from longlines. This system has now been introduced into commercial fishing.
In 2018, Mustad Autoline entered on the ownership side through the purchase of the shareholding in Vetrhus Holding AS. This links the companies Mustad and Fiskevegn together and makes it possible to realize synergies in larger parts of the value chain. The company has both a customer/supplier relationship, as well as competitors in some areas.
