Alf Holmaas Helland is concerned that if you have to euthanize an animal, it should be done as efficiently as possible.
Norwegian Stockbroker Develops Rocket Drone for Bluefin Tuna Slaughter
NORWAY
Friday, September 12, 2025, 07:00 (GMT + 9)
A new, high-tech method for slaughtering live-farmed bluefin tuna is being tested in Norway, using a drone equipped with a laser-guided harpoon and explosive warhead to ensure a swift, high-quality kill. This innovation aims to improve meat quality and worker safety.
The underwater drone has a retrofitted laser sight and harpoon with a "lupara", which has many similarities to a sawed-off shotgun. Photographer: Erlend Astad Lorentzen / Institute of Marine Research
“It's not just about killing a 400-kilogram bluefin tuna. At least not if you want to preserve the meat quality. This is where the special drone comes into the picture,” explains slaughterer Alf Holmaas Helland from his workshop in Masfjorden.
The innovation builds on a breakthrough from 2023, when marine researchers and the fishing boat "Vestbris" successfully caught and towed over 20 bluefin tuna alive to shore in a specially designed transport cage. The new experiment aims to replicate this success and take it a step further with a controlled precision killing method. The goal is to obtain a premium quality product, as it is difficult to maintain quality with today’s purse seine fishing methods where the giant fish can get stressed.
The operator (Alf) gets the experience in full screen via VR glasses. He has all the control in his hands. Photographer: Erlend Astad Lorentzen / Institute of Marine Research
The Technology: A Laser-Guided Harpoon
The drone is equipped with a laser sight and a harpoon. “On the harpoon is a warhead that is supposed to hit the bluefin tuna in the ‘temple’,”Holmaas explains. He continues: “Then a charge is fired that pushes a projectile through the armor of the giant fish's skull, and further into the brain, which is the size of a small fist.”
The objective is to achieve the same level of welfare and efficiency found in a slaughterhouse. The bluefin tuna should die instantly, without lactic acid buildup in its muscles, and "on demand"—even outside the traditional fishing season.
The ammunition for the Sturgeon drone is also being developed from scratch. Here's some inspiration. Photographer: Erlend Astad Lorentzen / Institute of Marine Research
Enhancing Safety and Expanding Applications
This technology presents a safer alternative to the "lupara" method long used in the Mediterranean, where a charge is mounted on the tip of a long pole held by a diver. Holmaas notes the risks of this method: “Diving around with a stick with an explosive charge among 400-kilo fish is also not something the Norwegian Labour Inspection Authority is particularly keen on. The pressure waves from the collision are also a strain on the divers.”
The stockbroker sees a wider range of applications for the prototype drone. For instance, it could be used to manage invasive bluefin tuna that enter salmon pens, a problem that currently requires pulling up nets and stressing the salmon. “It would be much easier to go down with a drone, aim in and fire a well-aimed volley,” says Helland.
The team, including the Institute of Marine Research, the Directorate of Fisheries, and the fishermen on "Vestbris," is making final adjustments to the drone before the next expedition, which is set to begin in mid-September. Manu Sistiaga, project manager at the HI, is excited about the potential. “We have gained a lot of experience, especially in 2023. We have skilled fishermen and a good design and method for transferring from the catch net to the transport cage and towing to shore.”
A new feature this year will be the transfer of the tuna to a more permanent collection cage on land, located at Firda Seafood on Byrknesøy. After a successful and peaceful kill, researchers will collect meat and blood samples. The fish will then be slaughtered and sold on the market, with "Vestbris" owning the fish.
“We have a very good rig, and everyone is super excited to succeed with this. It is absolutely essential for the future of the Norwegian bluefin tuna fishery,”Sistiaga concludes.
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gained a lot of experience, especially in 2023. We have skilled fishermen and a good design and method for transferring from the catch net to the transport cage and towing to shore.”
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