Faroe Seafood
Fruits of the sea
Faroe Seafood delivers responsibly caught, high quality seafood products
Located in the heart of the North Atlantic, the Faroe Islands have access to the finest seafood from the pristine waters surrounding the archipelago. The unpolluted, ice-cold waters provide the ideal conditions for fishing – indeed, the waters surrounding the Faroe Islands are reputed to be the cleanest in the world and the fish stocks are thriving.
As you may expect because of their location, the most important source of income on the Faroe Islands is the fishing industry – it accounts for more than 95 per cent of the islands’ export volume, with the main buyers originating in countries such as Germany, France,
The Netherlands, Belgium, UK, the US and Japan. With its head-office located in Tórshavn, the capital of the Faroe Islands, Faroe Seafood is the largest producer of fish products on the islands and buys approximately 38 per cent of the total Faroese catch. The company’s products are processed in Faroe Seafood’s plants (the company has eight), all of which are HACCP-approved and certified by the Faroese Food and Environmental Agency. The company also has subsidiary companies in France and the United Kingdom.
Faroe Seafood’s ability to supply its high quality products has been helped by a long established fishing quota system. Since 1974 the Faroese government has created legislation and restrictions that are aimed at maintaining a sustainable source of the fish stocks. This means Faroe Seafood is able to supply continuously during the whole year.
Whilst providing fish fingers, breaded fish portions, block fish portions, fillet fish portions, fish fillets, frozen at sea fillets, trout, salmon and shellfish for the frozen retail and catering markets, Faroe Seafood’s biggest product is IQF saithe portions, salted cod and frozen haddock portions. The company also offers whole frozen monkfish, black halibut, redfish and sole. It also produces frozen block cod, saithe, haddock and salmon as well as fillet block, interleaved block, minced block, mix block and bits and pieces block. For the fresh fish market Faroe Seafood provides cod, haddock, saithe loins/portions, redfish, turbot, black halibut and monkfish.
Faroe Seafood was also one of the pioneers in Faroese salmon farming and the company has been playing an important part in the development this area. Today, Faroe Seafood is still one of the largest exporters of salmon, with fresh and frozen salmon portions being produced at there Factory in Fuglafjørð along with Fresh whole salmon which is delivered all over the world by sea and air. The prospects for the future are good and Faroe Seafood is looking forward to increasing sales of value-added salmon products in the near future.
As illustrated by this alternative option for the Japanese market, Faroe Seafoods always focuses on the individual customer’s needs. To this end the company has developed a flexible production methodology and is always ready to make an effort in meeting specific demands. The company also continually focuses on quality, with all products inspected at all production stages by the company’s in-house quality control department. Even the dimensions of packaging are checked prior to shipment and labelling is professionally arranged. Because the production, quality control and sales all take place at the plants, customers’ questions can be addressed at one site, making communication simpler and timelier. With a modern infrastructure and strategically positioned plants, the transportation of raw material and finished goods runs very smoothly – in fact, the distances in communication are short both internally at Faroe Seafood and externally with fishermen, shipping companies, and authorities. Operating in a small country with short distances generates many benefits for Faroe Seafood, and also ensures the company retains its flexibility.
Faroe Seafood has come a long way in the 60 years it has been in existence. The company began exporting salt fish to South Europe and South America, and has grown to become a force in the international marketplace with a modern fishing fleet, and a long tradition of sustainable catches from these waters. Today the Faroe Brand represents quality control from catch to distribution.
Throughout its history Faroe Seafood has looked for innovative processes, invested in new fishing vessels and ensured its staff were well trained. It is this focus on progress that will keep the company on the right tack towards a successful future.