Processing
Staff shortages force move to Vietnam
A DEVON seafood firm is to send shellfish more than 8,000 miles to Vietnam for processing because it cannot find enough staff to do the job locally. The Blue Seafood Company, based in Paignton, near Torquay, and which proudly describes itself as the ‘home of Devon crab’, has said that if the experiment works out,…
Read MoreIceland fish firm’s profits down
HB Grandi, Iceland’s second largest fishing and fish processing company, has announced reduced revenues and operating profits for the first nine months of this year. Income for the period totalled €149.2 million (£132.7 million) compared to €158 million (£141 million) in the previous year. The EBITDA was €24.1 million (£21.4 million), which represents about 16.2…
Read More‘Unique’ trawler blueprint unveiled
A NORWEGIAN ship design and building company has unveiled a blueprint for a new series of trawlers which are thought to be the near ultimate in sustainable fishing. The company, Ulstein, said its goal includes gentler handling of fish at sea and the introduction of more environmentally friendly innovations. It has been working closely on…
Read MoreEdinburgh Salmon Co faces closure threat
A MAJOR question mark hangs over the future of the Edinburgh Salmon Company (also known as ESCo) and with it the jobs of around 250 people after its parent owners announced that it was considering a sale or the possible closure of the business. A press release from its owner Europeenne de la Mer, a…
Read MoreTop marks for Peterhead’s new market
THE new Peterhead fish market has secured the highest AA food safety and quality rating just three months after opening for business. Assessors from BRC Global Standards granted the market its gold standard award following rigorous analysis of every aspect of daily operations. Peterhead Port Authority chief executive Simon Brebner said: ‘Winning this accreditation, which…
Read MoreSamherji unveils £103m profits
SAMHERJI, Iceland’s largest fishing and fish processing company, has unveiled pre-tax profits of 14.4 billion kroners (£103 million) for last year. The figure is slightly up on the previous year. Samherji has been investing heavily during the past few months, buying up a large UK fish distributor and a stake in the shipping company and…
Read MoreNegative image affecting seafood recruitment – survey
THE negative perception of working in the seafood processing industry is one of the main barriers to recruiting enough British staff, company chiefs have said. Their comments are contained in the latest comprehensive Seafish quarterly update on the labour situation, first launched late last year in the light of Brexit. The result is that, for a…
Read MoreSeachill drives up meat group's sales and profits
SEACHILL has helped to drive up the sales and profits of its new owner Hilton Foods, the half year results for 2018 have confirmed. The meat group Hilton, which has a global reach, paid £80-million for the Grimsby based seafood processor and owner of the successful Saucy Fish brand, in November last year. It has…
Read MoreKing crab wears export crown
KING crab has become the latest seafood fashion from Norway, with catches continuing to make its fishermen big money, according to the latest exports figures from the Norwegian Seafood Council. Not only has the supply of this giant creature increased, but exports shot up by 71 per cent last month and they now account for…
Read MoreWelsh fishermen fear no deal Brexit
THE Welsh Fishermen’s Association has warned that many of its members may not survive a no deal Brexit. Their main catch is shellfish, much of which is exported live into Europe and could be subject to tariffs and bureaucratic hold-ups after next March. The association has said some businesses would not be able to hold…
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