SeafoodSource is closely following seafood processing and equipment innovation by compiling a regular round-up of updates from the sector.
- Sao Paolo, Brazil-based temperature-controlled storage and logistics solutions company Emergent Cold Latin America (Emergent Cold LatAm) has opened the largest frozen food warehouse in Chile.
The facility marks the company’s largest expansion in Latin America, and the warehouse holds a storage capacity of 294,000 cubic meters and 37,000 pallets, the company said in a release. It is expected to generate 150 direct and approximately 500 indirect jobs.
“We are committed to supporting the Chilean seafood and agriculture industries,” Emergent Cold LatAm Pacific Region Managing Director Joaquín Del Campo said. “The increase in mackerel quotas and the growth in coho salmon ... perfectly aligned with this new facility.”
This project also represents Emergent Cold LatAm’s first completed construction project in Chile. The company operates nine other facilities across Chile, including in Valparaíso, Metropolitan, Biobío, and Los Lagos.
- Amersfoort, the Netherlands-based aquafeed company Nutreco opened a new fish and poultry feed production facility in Ibadan, Nigeria, on 17 April. The facility, which is operated by Skretting and Trouw Nutrition, was built on 170,000 square meters of land for EUR 25 million (USD 27 million).
“We are very pleased about the growth of our business in Nigeria, a country with over 218 million people and a rising demand for protein,” Skretting Nigeria General Manager Seyi Adeleke-Ige said. “Opening a facility of this magnitude will ensure that we can meet both local demand and that of neighboring West African countries, contributing to the growth of the aquaculture and agriculture sectors of Nigeria and Africa as a whole.”
The new facility has the capacity to manufacture 125,000 metric tons (MT) of extruded fish and animal feeds annually, the company said in a release.
- Hawthorne, California, U.S.A.-based nanobubble technology company Moleaer announced the launch of its Trinity Nanobubble Generator, which produces nanobubbles that improve water quality for aquaculture systems.
Moleaer’s nanobubbles have oxygen transfer efficiency exceeding 85 percent, the company said in a release. The design also mitigates the risk of disease outbreaks to nurture a healthier habitat for fish.
"We are thrilled by the positive outcomes observed in our case studies across different regions," Moleaer Senior Director Jan Eric Haagensen said in a release. "Trinity's ability to deliver hyper-efficient oxygenation, reduce energy and oxygenation costs, and minimize environmental impact underscores its transformative potential in the aquaculture industry."
- Seafood group Brødrene Karlsen invested in new BAADER machinery to achieve more efficient and profitable salmon production, BAADER Project Sales Lead Frederik Grundsteidl confirmed.
Brødrene Karlsen also invested in BAADER’s new fillet scanner, which inspects each salmon fillet for physical dimensions, color, melanin spots, and skin damage.
- A Bering Sea crab fishing vessel sank on Tuesday, 14 May, off a pier on the Lake Washington Ship Canal in Seattle, Washington, U.S.A.
The U.S. Coast Guard's Puget Sound Sector received a call at 7:30 a.m. Tuesday regarding a maritime casualty, according to The Maritime Executive.
The crabber North American partially sunk alongside a pier on the south side of the canal.
No harm to wildlife has been reported so far, but a dive team is plugging vents and reducing the risk of fuel discharges.
- New York City, New York, U.S.A.-based food distribution technology company Pepper raised USD 30 million (EUR 27.6 million) in its Series B funding round. This investment was led by ICONIQ Growth, as well as existing partners Index Ventures, including Greylock, Imaginary, and Harmony Partners.
The company also announced that ICONIQ Growth Principal Richa Meht will be joining Pepper’s board of directors.
“The tremendous support from ICONIQ Growth and our existing investors not only validates our vision but also reinforces our position as the most trusted and transparent technology partner in the foodservice distribution industry,” Pepper CEO and Co-Founder Bowie Cheung said. “This funding will enable us to accelerate our roadmap, focusing on innovative solutions that meet the evolving needs of our customers and strengthen their operations.”
Since its last funding round, Pepper has doubled its customer base and rolled out over 100 new product features, the company said in a release. Its new features have enhanced the capabilities of sales representatives, accounts receivable teams, and marketing teams to expand Pepper’s top-tier e-commerce solutions.
- Russia announced a new vessel, the Captain Khazan, to be used in crab production, according to a Russia Federal Fisheries Agency press release.
“Today is truly a big holiday for the shipyard and the fishing industry. The Russian flag will be raised on a new vessel that will be engaged in crab production. And, our fishing fleet will be replenished with a new vessel,” Russian Fisheries Agency Head Ilya Shestakov said at the ceremony.
- The U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) released findings on the April 2023 fire aboard the F/V Kodiak Enterprise, a 276-foot vessel in Trident’s catcher/processor fleet, according to National Fisherman. Investigators could not determine the cause of the fire due to extensive damage but explained why the vessel, valued at USD 56.6 million (EUR 52.1 million), was a total loss.
On 8 April, the F/V Kodiak Enterprise moored at a Trident Seafoods facility in Tacoma, Washington. At approximately 3 a.m., the Tacoma Fire Department, Coast Guard, and other agencies were alerted to a fire on board, and four crew members living on the vessel at the time escaped uninjured.
- Helsinki, Finland-based equipment and technology company Wärtsilä announced its creation and release of a new engine, the Wärtsilä 25, designed for a 44-meter stern trawler being built for Faroe Islands-based operator Vardin, according to The Maritime Executive.
"The selection of a Wärtsilä 25 engine reflects our pursuit of a perfect balance between reliability, efficiency, lifecycle operating costs, and sustainability,” Vardin CTO Sámal Joensen said. “After careful consideration and a thorough comparison with alternative engines, the Wärtsilä 25 emerges as the optimal solution for our vessel.
