Contact
Gunnar Þórðarson
Regional Manager
gunnar.thordarson@matis.is
Improved utilization of lumpfish
The Ministry of Fisheries and Agriculture's regulation, No. 1083/2010, made it obligatory to bring all grayling catch ashore after 2011. It was therefore necessary to react quickly and find a market for the grayling itself, but only the roe had been harvested and the rest thrown into the sea. . A great deal of entrepreneurship had taken place for several years, and it is worth mentioning the National Association of Small Boat Owners and the export company Triton in that context, which together built up a market for grayling in the Chinese market, with a bang and all. It should be noted that the roe is about 30% by the weight of the grayling, while the whale with the head and tail is about 55%, of which the fillets are only 14% of its total weight. There was a lot of work to be done and it is clear that there is great value in this underutilized fish species and great opportunities would be created in many coastal settlements for the production and export of grayling. At the same time, increased income for fishermen and the fishing industry, as well as the fact that the grayling was now mostly brought ashore, which created a lot of work for production parties. Cutting for the Chinese market is different from the traditional method and requires more complex procedures, but it requires better working conditions that do not exist on board small fishing boats. There was little information on the chemical and nutritional content of grayling, but such information is necessary when marketing products. A detailed report was prepared on the material and raw materials are used in many parts of the country. Shelf life tests were performed on frozen grayling. A conference was held in Patreksfjörður where stakeholders in the fishing, processing and export of grayling were invited to discuss the interests of the industry.
A new regulation from Minister of Fisheries and Agriculture, No. 1083/2010, require returning all lumpfish fished in Iceland, after 2011. A quick action had to be taken to find markets for lumpfish itself, but only the roes which have been processed but the rest of the fish have been discarded into the sea. With entrepreneurial activity for some years now new markets have been developed in China, by the National Association of Small Boat Owners in Iceland in cooperation with the export company Triton. It should be noted that the roes are only about 30% of the total weight of lumpfish, with head and tail about 70% of its total weight. There was much to be done to save value in the lumpfish business and great opportunities for small communities relying on this business and find a market for the lumpfish product and create extra value for stakeholders. Furthermore, increased income for fishermen and fishing communities by creating valuable work by processing the fish at shore. Gutting and trimming the lumpfish for the China market is different from the traditional approach and calls for more sophisticated self-administration, but it requires better working conditions that do not exist on board small fishing boats. Very little information on chemical composition and nutrient value has been available for lumpfish products. An in-depth report on this subject was prepared, using samples from different regions in Iceland. Self ‐ life experiments were prepared by this project. A work shop was held in Patreksfjordur in May 2013, with stakeholders from the lumpfish business participating.
