SeafoodSource is closely following seafood processing and equipment innovation by compiling a regular round-up of updates from the sector.
- Svanøy, Norway-based seafood company Svanøy Røykeri, which specializes in smoked products, is permanently closing its doors.
The company, which has been operating for 32 years, attributed its closure to labor issues and reduced salmon production that it says came about due to economic pressures.
“Svanøy Røykeri is not about to go bankrupt, but over time, wear and tear … becomes too great and permanent labor is difficult to find. Unfortunately, this is the reality in a suburb like Svanøy, and we have to deal with that,” the company wrote in a Facebook post. “This results in fewer fish in the market where the price is governed by supply and demand. This then puts further pressure on salmon prices, which has been very high for a long time. It may be good in isolation for an owner of a farming company, but for the industry and the processing industry, it has consequences. By just continuing to increase the price, we are afraid we will reach a pain point – a risk we are not willing to take.”
- Buffalo, New York, U.S.A.-based food products corporation Rich Products has started the second phase of expansion at its facility in Brownsville, Texas, U.S.A.
The company is investing more than USD 100 million (EUR 94 million) into the total expansion, which is slated to add more than 150,000 square feet to the facility, according to Supermarket Perimeter.
“We’ve seen a huge influx in customer demand within our growing seafood and appetizer business, so adding capacity is key for continued growth,” Rich Products U.S. and Canada President Kevin Spratt said.
- Danish aquaculture company BioMar is opening a new hatchery R&D wing at its Aquaculture Technology Center in Hirtshals, Denmark.
“This facility is a dream come true for our global hatchery team. With the new LARVIVA Hatchery Hub, we can continue developing diets and feeding protocols,” BioMar Global Hatchery Product Manager Joana Amaral said in a LinkedIn release.
- Murmansk, Russia-based fishing trawler company Norebo launched its sixth vessel: the Kapitan Abakumov. The vessel, which is 81 meters long and 16 meters in breadth, was designed by Russian vessel design company Nautic Rus and built under the country’s investment quotas initiative, according to Hook and Net.
“These trawlers are designed for demersal and pelagic operation in the North Atlantic or Far East waters, with factory decks capable of handling 150 [metric tons] of product per 24 hours, including a 100-ton per-day frozen fillet capacity, as well as canned cod liver and fishmeal production,” Hook and Net said.
The vessel was launched in St. Petersburg, Russia’s Northern Shipyard.
- Oban, Scotland-based TinyFish, which collects and repurposes salmon culled from aquaculture operations in Scotland for use in secondary products including human consumption and pet food, has partnered with Ace Aquatech to use its stunning technology.
The partnership will aim to advance Scotland’s aquaculture sector by providing new food markets for its small fish, Ace Aquatech said in a release.
“This initiative is an opportunity to demonstrate the commitment of the Scottish aquaculture industry in driving sustainability across the harvesting process, from producer to supply chain,” TinyFish Pioneer Teresa Garzon said in a release. “I take pride in Tiny Fish’s part in this and our commitment to using every fish harvested. I am optimistic that we will contribute significantly to enhancing sustainability across the sector as a whole.”
Tiny Fish harvests, collects, freezes, packages, and stores the small salmon for value-added distribution channels to restaurants, hotels, takeaways, zoos, aquariums, and pet food suppliers across the U.K.
"Farmers want to see every one of their fish sold as food. This collaboration between Ace Aquatec and Tiny Fish is a no-brainer to reduce food waste across our freshwater production,” Mowi Freshwater Director Dan Philips said. “The technology is easy to operate and is helping us reduce our carbon footprint by converting the fish into a natural, healthy, and safe ingredient for pet food products and fish oils."
The partnership has been shortlisted for the “collaboration” category for the Aquaculture Awards 2024, with winners to be announced on 15 May.
“The goal of this partnership of making every fish count is closely aligned with our commitment to sustainability,” Ace Aquatec Chief Sales and Marketing Officer Tara McGregor-Woodhams said. “This collaboration has created a real opportunity for Scottish producers to show the global aquaculture sector that putting welfare and zero food waste at the heart of processing is easy to achieve and the right thing to do.”
-The city of Newport News, Virginia, U.S.A. has announced the redevelopment of its 39-acre Seafood Industrial Park, seafood market, and seafood docks, paid for from its the USD 1.5 million (EUR 1.4 million) in Port Host Communities Revitalization Fund (PHCRF).
Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin announced that USD 800,000 (EUR 751,000) will be allocated towards the seafood redevelopment, demolition of existing pier structures, installation of a new system to include shore power and water, and dredging to increase capacity for local fishermen.
“Revitalizing derelict structures will not only stimulate job creation but also act as a driving force for fresh economic prospects in these port host communities,” Youngkin said in a release.
“Through the Port Host Community Revitalization Fund, our investment is a step towards enhancing our infrastructure, bolstering our economy, and enhancing the lives of Virginians.”
- Researchers from the U.K.-based James Hutton Institute are conducting a survey of Scotland’s seafood industry to gain insight into the utilization of seafood industry byproducts.
“We would like the industry to help us identify where the best opportunities are and find ways to overcome the barriers to unlock them,” James Hutton Insitute Researcher Nazli Koseoglu said in a release. “A challenge in the Scottish seafood industry is a lack of data on what could be processed, which is why we’re keen for people to take the survey from right across the sector. Initial findings suggest, there are other challenges, such as the cost of labor for processing, which would be needed to segregate materials for use, as well as storage of by-products and the variability of catch, which makes scale and setting up supply chains difficult.”
- Storebo, Norway-based fishing company Br. Birkeland has entered into agreements for the sale of the fishing vessels M/S Birkeland and M/S Talbor, along with their associated purse-seine quotas and trawl quotas for blue whiting, to an undisclosed buyer.
The sales will generate NOK 1.96 billion [USD 178 million, EUR 167 million for the company, it said in a release. Austevoll seafood owns a 42.9 percent share of Br. Birkeland, which will retain control of two crab-fishing vessels.
- Pesquera Veraz celebrated the launching ceremony of the Americano, a fishing vessel built at Naval Shipyard Federico Contessi y Cía, on 11 April.
Listed as 24.1 meters long, the Americano will replace the B/P Victoria II, the shipyard said said in a release.
“The Argentine naval industry demonstrated its capabilities with concrete actions and the shipowners themselves demonstrated that it was possible to modernize the national fleet with new ships, whether built in the country or abroad,” Contessi said in a release.
-Stirling, Scotland-based Scottish Sea Farms announced its shipment of environmentally friendly eggs at its new EUR 2 million (USD 2.1 million) incubation facility at Barcaldine Hatchery, which is located in Oban, Scotland.
The company fertilizes its eggs on-site, and it is the first time the company has operated on-site fertilization, the company said in a release.
“We conducted a series of assessments, from evaluating the success of the fertilization process within the first 24 hours to checking embryonic development around the 60-day stage,” the company said. “Then, when the eggs reach the eyed ova stage, they will go through a further quality check to ensure only the viable ones are transferred to incubation trays in our hatcheries.”
- Seafood processing company Hiperbaric announced the launch of its HPP Research Awards, which will take place during its HPP Innovation Week digital conference from 18 to 20 June.
The awards, which are available to undergraduate, graduate, and postdoctoral researchers at colleges and universities worldwide, will recognize and promote research that aims to harness the power of high pressure for food and beverage applications, Hiperbaric said in a release.
"By recognizing the brilliant work of the next generation of researchers, we aim to accelerate breakthroughs in high-pressure processing that will shape the future of the food industry," Hiperbaric CEO Andrés Hernando said.
