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The M a g a z i n e fo r B u y e r s , S e l l e r s and P r o c e s s o r s ISSU

The world’s most adaptable fish > Salmon is safe to be consumed fresh Growth for the “frozen at sea” concept > Well attended show in Hong Kong

12 Salmon 22 AquaPri 28 Nederland 1Asians - NORTHERN are in SEAFOODlove with salmon heads Luxury seafood’s from innovative Danes Great potential and conscious consumers Luxury seafood

Luxury seafood’s from innovative Danes Danish fish farmer, processor and exporter Aquapri, known for its delicious trout and trout roe, is now also the world’s largest farmer of zander, also known as pike perch. Already a large exporter, the company like many European exporters have been hit by Russian trade sanctions. Now is focus on Asia.

Zander, or pike perch, as Aquapri in this äsh. At ärst we were caught the fry and fed them in an One zander produces around markets the äsh, is a äsh living producing around two hundred old farm previously used for eel 500.000 eggs. Aquapri is now in fresh- and brackish water in tonnes a year. In September production. This method had one producing one million fry per Europe and parts of Russia. Ac- we started to produce at a new major problem. The zander only year. The company has developed cording to The FAO the annual indoor facility where we invested spawns once a year, so they did the technology, and they are now wild catch is approaching 10.000 DKR 65 million, and we will not get enough fry. The company ready to serve the global market tonnes, and the farmed produc- increase production to 600 – 700 therefore decided to try some- with this very delicious äsh. tion is now increasing to above tonnes. thing not tried before, to make the Aquapri is the only company 1.000 tonnes due to large invest- Aquapri was a pioneer when mature äsh spawn in a temper- in the world that has developed ments carried out by Aquapri. they ärst started trials with zander ature-controlled environment a method to make the zander Managing director Henning in 2006. In the beginning, they where it was possible to create spawn four times a year. This Priess says: We believe strongly kept mature zander in lakes, different seasons of the year. gives them the unique oppor-

22 - NORTHERN SEAFOOD THIS IS ONE of the sea farms, Grønsund Havbrug, were Aquapri farms large trout.

FEEDING RAINBOW trout at the Grønsund Habrug farm in the Baltic Sea.

AQUAPRI IS THE WORLD’S largest farmer of zander, also known as pike perch.

tunity to supply fresh zander to we already export most of our therefore named “Priess & Co”. customers at any time, as they production of roe, also known Aquapri is a family company. Anders traded in fish he bought can have a number of different as sujiko. We are also eying the It all began in the year 1900, from local fishermen, much to generations of the äsh in grow potential for exporting fresh when a determined 14-year- the dismay and dislike of older out tanks. zander to Japan, one of our old Dane named Anders Priess traders, who did not welcome - Zander is a delicate äsh with largest markets. Korea is also decided to take charge of his the competition. This was made a very white meat. The farmed an interesting market, where we future, and establish his own very clear to Anders when he was äsh are free of parasites found already export frozen trout. In company in the fishing port of slapped in the face and thrown in wild äsh. It’s therefore safe to addition, China is a large and Glyngøre. into the water by a competitor serve fresh as sushi or sashimi. great market for quality seafood, Due to his young age, it who remarked “we don’t want We will therefore increase our says Henning Priess to Northern was his mother who formally children buying up our fish focus on Asian markets where Seafood. owned the company, which was around here”.

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Luxury seafood

By 1930s, “Priess & Co” had expanded business into many kinds of seafood. In connection with the company changing hands with each change of gen- eration, they divided the compa- ny into two separate companies. Aquapri today produces around 10 million trout eggs and eight million trout fry, in addition to the already mentioned produc- tion of one million Zander fry and in the near future 600 – 700 tonnes of fresh zander. The annual production of large sea-raised trout is 3,200 tonnes and the production of smaller trout raised in freshwater farms is 2,600 tonnes, making it a leading aquaculture company in Denmark. A NICE HIGH quality trout roe. This one is used for Japanese sujiko.

MANAGING DIRECTOR ANDERS Priess (right) spends lots of time marketing the company’s luxury line seafood of seafood products. Now focus is very much on increasing sales in Asia.

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THESE ARE THE GROW-OUT tanks for zander at the new in-house farm.

is not a problem, as the little many years of work with roe Denmark has long traditions water released from the farms - When our trout are slaugh- and caviar at our facilities in in the freshwater farming of is purified. The company is also tered, the roe is carefully Southern Denmark, our special- rainbow trout. The annual Dan- subject to some of the strictest harvested by hand, and the ists have developed methods to ish production of rainbow trout food safety and environmen- process of making caviar begins ensure that we always obtain is approximately 10.000 tonnes tal legislation in the world, right away. The fresh trout eggs exactly the quality that we are raised in the sea, and 39.000 enforced meticulously by the are taken from the roe sack, and looking for, Henning Priess tonnes in freshwater. Danish authorities. According the membranes are removed. says. The environmental standards to Henning Priess, their produc- Depending on our customers’ Caviar is custom made ac- are the highest available, with tion is based on the HACCP wishes, the eggs are now salted cording to customers and mar- high tech recirculation systems, principles. The Danish Veteri- and treated to meet a number of ket requirements. Roe is hand- reducing the use of water to a nary and Food Administration quality criteria, before leaving picked according to the quality minimum. Discharge of pol- regularly control the farms and the processing plant, ready for each customer requires. Every lutants to local river systems processing facilities. consumption as caviar. Through year, from November to Janu-

THE LARGEST market for trout roe is Japan. ZANDER READY for slaughtering. The fish is known for its very white and firm meat.

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Luxury seafood

ary, Japanese specialists work at their processing plant in Oresund in southern Denmark, where they produce Japanese style caviar known as “sujiko”. Roe is also sold as “green roe”. A term that contradicts the roes beautiful orange-red colour, but is the industry’s term for unprocessed roe.

AquaPri is one of the largest trout farmers in Denmark. The trout are hatched at their inland farms, where they spend the first months of their lives. The

controlled environment of these

farms gives them the oppor-

tunity to ensure the very best conditions for their on-growing. When the trout are about two years old, most of the trout are transported to sea farms in the MANAGER LARS Ditelv Hansen at Bratbjerg Trout Farm. Danish freshwater clean coastal waters of Den- farming is using technologies making it a clean and sustainable activity. mark.

There the trout will spend another seven to eight months, AQUAPRI farms about one third of the Danish production of trout raised in seawater. until they have reached just in a number of ways, and we the right size and condition for strongly believe that this has a harvesting. The average size of positive effect on the fish. the trout is then 3.5 kilos and - We have no doubt that the they are ready to be transported salmon feel at home in the live by large wellboats to the plant’s water currents, where company’s slaughtering and they are continually exercised, processing facility in the town much in the same way they of Årøsund near the German would be in the wild. This is border. why the salmon from Langsand Laks, have a lean and firm meat structure, normally only found in wild caught salmon Aquapri is also co-owner of a Henning Priess explains. The large land-based salmon farm, farms are certified according the new Langsand Laks plant to the GlobalG.A.P. standard, in Hvide Sande, Denmark. The and the salmon is only fed feed salmon farm is the first fully produced by GlobalG.A.P. certi- recirculated Atlantic salmon fied suppliers. The feed only farm in the world, offering high contains colouring that also quality salmon to environmen- occurs naturally in the diet of tally concerned consumers. The wild salmon. This gives the meat plant is constructed to resem- of our fish a delicate, natural ble a natural salmon habitat colour. ■

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