ROMANIA
the fish for a distance of about 800 km from the hatchery, a fraction of the approximately 2,000 km between the Netherlands and Romania. Aquator Halasz has therefore decided to try producing its own juveniles. We will obtain the hatchery equipment and the broodstock from the Dutch hatchery and from January 2018 we intend to start producing eggs and larvae, says Mr Halasz.
Hatchery operational from next year The plans for the hatchery have been postponed to January so that the company can concentrate on supplying the Romanian market during October, November, and December, when fish is widely consumed. The market for African catfish in Romania is still
developing, a process to which Aquator Halasz is contributing. For many consumers the product is unfamiliar and the company is trying to remedy this. The taste and texture are very good, better than those of the European catfish, avers Mr Halasz, and it grows much faster. Besides, the meat has a reddish tinge and is comparable with pork meat. At Aquator the meat is used to make smoked sausages, a traditional preparation in many countries in Central Europe including Romania and Germany. We need to add value, create innovative products, yet make sure they do not alienate consumers, and in this way compensate for any additional costs we have in the production. Meat balls using catfish meat are another example of this approach that the company
is using. The company is keen to expand the processing operations, but an acute problem is the lack of both skilled and unskilled labour. The reasons for this vary. For many potential workers a job in a fish processing factory is unappealing; others move to better-paying jobs in richer European countries; spending a long time commuting is also unacceptable for some, so finding fulltime staff is increasingly difficult.
In addition to African catfish, Aquator also processes common carp, sturgeon and trout, buying the raw material from the market and smoking it. Sales of these species started about two months ago and today have increased to about 150 kg a day as demand has increased. Sales are mainly in the local markets as the shelf life of the smoked products is short and exporting them is generally not a realistic option.
Aquator Halasz SRL Str. Marsilia nr. 55 Satu Mare Romania Owners: Eva and Nikolaus Halasz Tel.: +40 757 942825, +40 770 781406
Employees: 7 (with a target of 15) Area: 11 ha Products: CatďŹ sh, carp, sturgeon, trout Production: CatďŹ sh 250 tonnes, other products minor quantities
Ocean Fish expands into the Republic of Moldova
Building new stores and a new factory in Eastern Europe Since Romanian ďŹ sh processor and importer Ocean Fish Ltd was founded in 1998, the company has invested in their facilities and built the largest production capacity in Romania. Most recently, they have opened their own stores to sell directly to the consumer, and a new factory is ready to open in the Republic of Moldova.
O
cean Fish, based in Afumati near Bucharest, produces a wide range of fish products, including smoked and marinated fish, and different kinds of salads, including roe salads. It processes mainly salmon, trout, carp, sea bream, and mackerel, but also tuna, octopus, shrimp, squid, and other products. The company has a monthly production capacity of 100 tonnes, although it is not currently working at full capacity.
Ocean Fish is the largest fish processor in Romania in terms of facilities and production capacity. It was one of the first factories in Romania to invest in production lines to provide modified atmosphere packaging. The company has invested more than ₏22 million in their facilities, approximately ₏11 million of which was provided by the EU. In turnover, two companies dominate the Romanian market for processed fish – Ocean Fish and a competitor alternate as number one from year to year.
Ocean Fish has a vast fleet of vehicles that cover the whole country distributing products and collecting raw material.
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