Emeraude in the Norwegian EEZ with 81 different seafood products onboard

The current trip started in Saint-Malo on 22 April. Before entering Norwegian waters, Emeraude spent two weeks fishing in the North Sea, catching Greenland halibut and saithe. The Greenland halibut in the North Sea is the same fish caught by other freezer trawlers in waters off the coast of East Greenland, but leaner and smaller. The vessel has recently been exploring opportunities to catch other species in different fishing zones, not least due to reduced cod quotas in the Barents Sea.

Emeraude’s captain, Icelander Björn Valur Gíslason, says the production capabilities on board have enabled the ship to adjust quickly to changes in demand as well as to develop new products. Gíslason has been steering the vessel since it was unveiled as a newbuild. He says he is lucky to have had mostly the same crew since 2018. A group of hard-working men from five to seven different nationalities during each trip. Most of them are French.

“During long stretches at sea, it is vital to have crew that have built rapport and know each other and can tolerate each other's company. When fishing is good, it is not really an issue because everyone is focused on the task at hand. But this becomes important when fishing goes down, and we are searching and waiting,” says Gíslason.

Gíslason expects to finish the current trip at the end of June, when the vessel will land in IJmuiden, Netherlands, and subsequently enter service in Amsterdam. The ship currently holds 500 tonnes of frozen products, and the captain hopes to expand this significantly, as the vessel still has more than a week of fishing left. These are, e.g., headed and gutted (H&G) fish, frozen fillets, fish oil, and fishmeal. All products are packed in Emeraude-branded boxes at the onboard factory for wholesale and retail customers.

In total, Emeraude has produced products on 81 separate product numbers from 12 different species during this trip. Everything from large quantities for wholesale buyers down to vacuum-packed loins and tails for restaurants and supermarkets. Heads and tails from headed and gutted Greenland halibut are all sold as well, mostly to markets in Asia. Emeraude focuses on the full utilisation of all raw materials on board. Nothing is thrown away.

“We are not exhausting our cod quota in Norwegian waters during this trip. We will have something left for a trip to these waters in late fall and early winter. But Emeraude’s next trip is to Svalbard, and the vessel has quota there for a full trip of fishing,” says Gíslason.