In Blokken, archaeological discoveries have been made which tell us that people have lived here all the way back to the Stone Age. Tufts have also been found in Blokken which show Sea Sami settlement. The findings of Sami settlement suggest that this has been one of the core Sami areas in Vesterålen.
In recent times, Blokken has been an important hub for trade and industry. The forge that Nils Pedersen from Trønder started in the 1890s became "Blokken ship workshop and mechanical workshop". Today, the yard is run by Frydenbø Industri.
Around 1900, Erling Glad started a small outlet in a small cabin down in the harbour. Later a shop was built, and in 1908 the company "Carl Georg Glad" was founded and built up to become one of the region's largest fishing and trading companies.
Gladbrygga, also called Rødbrygga, is a wonderful old wharf. It is located on Gårdsøya, which is connected to the mainland by a breakwater. The wharf is named after the first owners, the company Carl Glads sons. We do not know exactly what year it was built, but parts of it were built in the 1920s and then added to in the 1930-40s. In Gladbrygga there has been a lot of activity with boats, dam ship quay, expedition, warehouse and emergency room. The local boat from Sortland came here with goods, mail and people. Originally, there was also a large groove by the pier. Akvakultur i Vesterålen bought Gladbrygga from Blokken Skipsverft in 2009.
Akvakultur i Vesterålen is an adventure and education center for aquaculture, where you can get a unique insight into a sustainable and modern industry in one of Norway's most beautiful regions. We opened in 2011, and offer knowledge-based experiences to tourists, local people, schools, kindergartens, politicians and others who want to learn more about aquaculture.
We take all our guests on a guided tour in our exhibition, a RIB trip to the fish farm and a delicious taste experience with smoked salmon and trout from our own production. The visit takes around 2.5 hours and is an educational experience for the whole family, only 30 minutes outside Sortland.
The visiting center invites all kindergartens and schools in the region on a visit to learn more about salmon farming and aquaculture, and is also open to tourists and local people. Akvakultur i Vesterålen also collaborates with high schools on both recruitment and education for the aquaculture industry.
G. Ledwig, a visiting guest from Germany
