Icelandic research organisation Matis has started a project that aims to maximise returns from small fishing vessels by improving the quality of ice slurry chilling.
In recent times, Iceland’s small inshore fishing boats have been bringing in bigger catches, which has led to concerns about how these hauls can be handled to ensure the quality is not lost.
Analysts are aware that new handling methods in chilling have to be introduced sooner rather than later, which is why Matis has come up with a plan to improve the quality of the catch from these small vessels and in return maximise their returns. The company is to design a new ice slurry machine, while handling procedures regarding chilling, gutting and bleeding will also be improved.
The benefits for the fishermen are that improved chilling will without doubt increase the quality of the catch, which is likely to lead to more consistent sales and deliveries as well as giving them the opportunity to raise their asking prices. Furthermore, there will be new opportunities for processing companies, which will now see the potential to produce a higher quality and more valuable product.
2014 IceNews – Daily News