Atlantikas’ parent company Norebo (previously known as Karat group) will become a sponsor of the Global Sustainable Seafood Initiative (GSSI) from the 1st of January 2017.

The overall purpose of GSSI is to provide a global platform and partnership of stakeholders in the seafood supply chain, including companies, non-governmental organizations, experts, governmental and intergovernmental organizations working together towards more sustainable seafood for everyone in the broadest sense.

For Norebo becoming a part of GSSI was a straightforward decision. The seafood sector needs more clarity on certification and GSSI provides the ideal solution to our common challenge.

More about Norebo’s policy on sustainable fishery is available at Norebo’s website.

More information about the GSSI can be found on their website.

For any further information, please contact Corporate Communication of Norebo Group at contact@noreboeurope.com, call +44 1628 594 000 and visit our website: www.norebo.com.

Our partner Norebo Europe has wound down its operations and will
no longer have any presence in the UK.

From Norebo Europe Limited
“It has been an exciting journey, marked by challenges,
opportunities and great relationships.
With this end, we want to thank our customers and vendors in
the UK for their valuable cooperation.”

Interested in Glacialis? Get our products from other reliable
partners. See CONTACT US

March 2, 2023
In anticipation of an upcoming media “sensation” by Dagens Næringsliv (DN) we hereby release the full correspondence with their journalist.
This is done as a safeguard against possible false and/or defamatory statements that could be made.
Here is the correspondence thread, please click here.

We are pleased to announce that the West Bering Sea Alaska pollock fishery acquired the MSC fishery standard certification in July 2021. Norebo has 13 vessels operating in this fishery.

The MSC certificate covers APO fishery of the Russian fleet (members of the Pollock Catchers Association) for FAO 61 area within North-West Bering Sea / Navarinsky Area (east of 174 E to the delimiting line between Russia and the USA). The TAC of pollock in West Bering Sea in 2021 is 415,000 tonnes and majority of it is now covered by the MSC certification. This is a great achievement for the Russian pollock fishery of continuous implementation of sustainable fishery principles in practice.

The fishery was certified with no conditions but with one non-binding recommendation.

The successful certification of the fishery to the MSC Fishery Standard is a robust assurance that the stocks, fishery management and the fishery comply with high international sustainable fishery standard.

The certification number is: MSC-F-31513.

For any further information, please contact Corporate Communication of Norebo Group at contact@noreboeurope.com, call +44 1628 594 000 and visit our website: www.norebo.com

At Norebo we are very excited to announce the launch of Dive Deep from Glacialis!

Fishermen always have the best stories. So, to share ours we’ve created Dive Deep – our new digital platform where you can discover more about our great-tasting fish.

Our goal with this new web space is to provide our visitors an easy way to learn about fish species, such as Atlantic cod and Alaska pollock.

You’ll get the most up-to-date information about our modern and innovative fishing fleet, with in-depth guides on where and how our fish is caught and fresh-frozen at sea for locked-in flavour. With Dive Deep you can find out everything about nutritional benefits of eating fish to know exactly what’s inside. You’ll find clear tips on how to cook and defrost your fillets to perfection, as well as recipes to inspire. Check out the chapter called ‘How the world enjoys’ to learn about different nations’ fish dish favourites. And last, but not least, you’ll learn more about our commitment to sustainable and fully traceable fishing. Ensuring quality for today…and tomorrow.

We love what we do and we believe that knowledge paves the way to a better and more sustainable future. We want to share our passion for great quality fish and created Dive Deep, a space where we endeavour to provide you with the most accurate information and share our knowledge and expertise. Food tastes better when you know where it comes from.

From ocean to plate. And everything in-between. Dive Deep, from Glacialis.
So #DiveDeep to learn more!

For any further information, please contact Corporate Communication of Norebo Group at contact@noreboeurope.com, call +44 1628 594 000 and visit our website: www.norebo.com

Norebo is pleased to announce that from the 16^th of March 2021 East Sakhalin is included in the scope of the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) certification of the Russian Alaska pollock fishery in the Sea of Okhotsk. This means that the pollock fishery in East Sakhalin subarea is certified according to the MSC Principles and Criteria for Sustainable Fisheries. Annual Alaska pollock fisheries in the East Sakhalin area has been around 100,000 MT in recent years, bringing the annual volume of MSC certified Alaska pollock fisheries in Russia to around 1.1m MT.

As part of Norebo’s ongoing commitment to supply wild fish in a sustainable way, we attribute a huge importance to responsible management of fish stocks and to safeguarding our oceans. Norebo trusts in the MSC’s vision “of the world’s oceans teeming with life, and seafood supplies safeguarded for this and future generations” and shares into its values by achieving the status of sustainable fishery through MSC assessment and certification.

The certification has highlighted the following strengths:

“The Sea of Okhotsk fishery and the Pollock Catchers Association fleet operate within an effective governance regime and is well monitored. The science that underpins the research and management is of a high international standard. Fishery removals and stock abundance are monitored with sufficient frequency to support a robust Harvest Control Rule that is responsive to the state of the stocks” (Source: extract from Public Certification Report).

MSC The certification programme is known and recognized worldwide for its rigour and credibility. MSC certified fish is clearly labelled and can be traced to a certified fishery.

The MSC fishery code is the same for all areas in the Sea of Okhotsk.

Please follow the link to see Public Certification Report for the details of the MSC scope extension assessment process of the Russian Sea of Okhotsk fishery for the Pollock Catchers Association (PCA).

For any further information, please contact Corporate Communication of Norebo Group at contact@noreboeurope.com, call +44 1628 594 000 and visit our website: www.norebo.com

We are pleased to announce that laying of the keel of a new vessel – Captain Korotich – which took place at Severnaya Verf shipyard in St Petersburg this February. The trawler is for AKROS, a NOREBO group company operating in the Pacific Ocean and a producer of Glacialis and Ocean Spirit products.

Captain Korotich is designed for fishing and processing fish in the Pacific Ocean: the Sea of Okhotsk, West Bering Sea and the North Pacific Ocean. Captain Korotich is the eighth vessel built under Norebo’s programme of fleet renewal. This series of fishing freezing processing-trawlers of unrestricted navigation class consists of ten vessels, six of which will work in the Northern Atlantic, and four – in the Pacific.

Project drawings and specifications for Captain Korotich vessel were developed by the domestic design bureau Nautic Rus, taking into account most recent international advances in the field of fishing vessels construction. The length of the freezing processing-trawler is 81.6 m, width – 16 m, displacement of water – 5,500 t. Due to the powerful main engine (6200 kW), the vessel can reach the speed of up to 15.5 knots. The vessel has an ice class of Ice2 and can operate in ice up to 0.5 m thick. The crew number will be about 70-80 people.

The trawler can be equipped with both bottom and pelagic trawls. The total maximum fishing capacity of the vessel is estimated at 230 tons of fish per day, and the freezing capacity is 100 tons per day. Thanks to the multifunctional fish factory installed aboard, the time from catching fish to making the finished product will be minimal, and processing waste will be reduced to almost zero. The product line will include headed and gutted (H/G) frozen fish, fish fillet, roe, liver, fish mince and fishmeal. The new vessel will catch Alaska pollock, Pacific herring, Pacific cod, commander squid and other species.

This is the first instance where a new hull architecture was used in the construction of a Russian fishing vessel. The hull is capsule-shaped, with Enduro Bow type of a bow line. Hence, the capsule-shaped bow line allows to increase the working space on board, while improving its seaworthiness.

Moreover, one of the main advantages of the new vessels is increased energy efficiency. Thus, the redistribution of heat generated during the operation of the main engine allows to heat the rooms, including cabins. The electricity generated by the trawl winches in the regeneration mode is planned to be used for lighting and other needs of the vessel, which saves the fuel. On our Pacific vessels, such as Captain Korotich, fish oil collected during the waste processing will be partially used for boiler heating.

Captain Korotich is named after Valentin Vladimirovich Korotich (16.02.1941-28.03.2013), who worked in the fishing industry of the Kamchatka territory for more than forty years. He was a skipper of the highest level, an experienced captain, a principled and fair leader. His crews have repeatedly become winners of Soviet-style workplace competition, demonstrating impressive production results.

For any further information, please contact Corporate Communication of Norebo Group at contact@noreboeurope.com, call +44 1628 594 000 and visit our website: www.norebo.com

Captain Sokolov vessel was launched at Severnaya Verf shipyard in St. Petersburg (31.08.2020). The trawler is for Rybprominvest, a NOREBO group company operating in the North Atlantic Ocean and a producer of Glacialis and Ocean Spirit products. Ten vessels for the North-West and the Far East of Russia for Norebo Group are planned to be constructed under the contract of a total value of $500m.

Captain Sokolov is a freezing processing-trawler designed for catching cod, haddock and other fish species in the North Atlantic. It will be one of the most modern fishing vessels not only in Russia, but also in the world. The hull of the trawler is shaped as a capsule with streamlined form, which gives the vessel increased seaworthiness and additional energy efficiency.

A unique factory was designed and manufactured by the leading producers of fish processing equipment following the technical specifications of NOREBO Group, based on extensive experience in operating of fishing vessels. This allows to minimize the time from catch to production of the finished product, as well as reduce the waste to almost zero. The multifunctional factory will produce a wide range of fish products, including different types of fish fillets and portions.

Fish factory also produces canned cod liver products. Since the raw materials are preserved immediately after the catch, without the freezing stage, it is possible to fully preserve the taste and useful elements of this product, including a large amount of omega-3 fats and vitamins.

The vessel also provides for the use of an automated palletizing system. It allows not only to reduce the labour costs of the crew and reduce the time of unloading, but also helps to prevent damage to the finished product.

Another feature of the trawler is its increased energy efficiency. The project provides for the redistribution of heat generated during the operation of the main engine for heating the premises, including cabins. The electricity generated by the trawl winches will be used in recuperation mode for the needs of the vessel, which will save fuel. On the Far Eastern vessels under this project, fish oil collected during waste processing will be used to heat boilers.

After launching of the trawler, outfitting works continue: internal premises construction, metallization and painting of the interior, insulation, installation of equipment. Once the construction is complete mooring, sea trials and production trials will follow.

The vessel was laid down at the end of 2018. It is planned to hand over the vessel to the customer in autumn 2021. The trawler is named after Vladimir Vitalievich Sokolov (1954-2015), who worked his way from a sailor to the head of the Murmansk sea fishing port and first deputy head of the Federal Agency for Fishery.

4 new longline vessels

The series of state-of-art fishing trawlers-processors NOREBO Group consists of ten vessels. Recently Severnaya Verf shipyard signed a contract with the NOREBO Group for the construction of four longline vessels for the Far Eastern fishery basin.

Key technical characteristics:

• Length – 81.6 m
• Width – 16 m
• Speed ​​– 15 knots
• Gross tonnage – 5500 tonnes
• Main engine power – 6.2 MW
• Total processing capacity on board – 150 tonnes per day
• Freezing capacity – 100 tonnes of fish per day

For any further information, please contact Corporate Communication of Norebo Group at contact@noreboeurope.com, call +44 1628 594 000 and visit our website: www.norebo.com

On July 14, 2020, NOREBO Group, FEST group of companies, Arkhangelsk Trawl Fleet JSC and the nonprofit organization Union of Fisheries of the North have concluded an agreement on Measures to Protect Vulnerable Biotopes in the Barents Sea.

The conclusion of the Agreement is another step by Russian fisheries to enhance measures for preserving the ecosystem of the Barents Sea and developing principles of environmentally sustainable exploration of aquatic biological resources.

The Agreement is the result of a successful long-term cooperation between fisheries, WWF Russia and scientific organisations to develop possible measures to reduce the impact of bottom fishing on the marine environment.

The main goal of the Agreement is to obtain reliable scientific data on the species composition of the seabed ecosystems as well as produce recommendations on the protection of vulnerable biotopes in the Barents Sea together with environmental and scientific organisations. The Agreement identifies three areas in the Barents Sea (two in the north and one in the southwest), where there is a high probability of finding vulnerable marine habitats. These are the areas where the parties to the Agreement commit to limit their bottom trawl fishing activities whenever possible. Taking into account a rather large size of ​​the specified areas in the Agreement and the lack of scientific data, the parties to the Agreement will cooperate in order to study seabed biotopes in these areas and strive to register the by-catch of marine benthos to the fullest extent.

The Agreement currently applies to 97 Russian vessels fishing for north-eastern Arctic cod, haddock, saithe and northern shrimp.

The parties also envisaged a mechanism for independent monitoring of their fishing activities, which will allow to analyse the work of the vessels and confirm the fulfilment of obligations under this Agreement.

“The decision to conclude the Agreement was not an easy one, but all participants are united in the understanding that maintaining a healthy and productive ecosystem in the Barents Sea is the guarantee of our well-being and the well-being of future generations of Russia,” says Sergei Sennikov, a representative of NOREBO Group.

Konstantin Drevetnyak, General Director of the nonprofit organization Union of Fisheries of the North, noted: “This Agreement marks another stage of painstaking and long-term work of both fishing companies and scientific organizations with the active support of WWF Russia. It is the foundation for the formation of a responsible approach to the use of the natural resources of our planet.”

“The Agreement gives a chance to the fishing companies competing in the fishing industry to unite so that their business has a sustainable future,” adds Yuri Parshev, a representative of the FEST group of companies.

“Arkhangelsk Trawl Fleet JSC celebrated its 100th anniversary this year. Our plans are not limited to three years, we deliberately introduce some restrictions so that both the state of aquatic biological resources and the state of our business are stable in the foreseeable future. This is a normal behaviour of a responsible business”, says Sergey Nesvetov, Executive Director of Arkhangelsk Trawl Fleet JSC.

The agreement comes into force on August 1, 2020 and is open for accession by both Russian and foreign fisheries.

For any further information, please contact Corporate Communication of Norebo Group at contact@noreboeurope.com, call +44 1628 594 000 and visit our website: www.norebo.com

The construction of the vessel ‘Captain Tuzov’ (project 170701) has begun at Severnaya Verf shipyard in St Petersburg. Customer: JSC Alternativa (part of Norebo Group). Laying the keel of ‘Captain Tuzov’ on the 27th March 2020 marks an important milestone – now half of all new vessels that Norebo plans to build are under construction, as part of the programme of quota allocation.

Andrey Kiselev, the Director General of JSC Alternativa, stated that the trawler will be named after Vasiliy Nikitovich Tuzov, a captain of fishing vessels of the Murmansk Trawl Fleet company. His crew was among the top ten for many years, receiving awards for maximum catch and excellent navigation standards. Vasiliy Tuzov worked as the flagship captain of a group of vessels. During his life Vasiliy Tuzov trained many young skippers and fishermen and consistently achieving high catch rates. He was awarded the Order of the Red Banner of Labour.

According to Andrey Kisilev, once such an innovative vessel is in operation, JSC Alternativa will have significantly increased catch and processing capacities. The new vessel will catch cod and haddock, as well as other pelagic species in North Atlantic Ocean.

The series of fishing trawlers-processors for the NOREBO Group will consist of ten vessels. The trawlers are designed for fishing with bottom and pelagic trawls. A multifunctional modern fish processing factory installed on trawlers will allow the production of fillets and other types of fish products frozen in the sea, as well as canned cod liver, fishmeal and other by-products.

Like the previous vessels of project 170701, ‘Captain Tuzov’ will be able to produce up to 40 tons of fillet from cod and haddock, as well as up to 60 tons of frozen headed and gutted fish per day. In addition, the vessel will produce canned cod liver and fishmeal – this will mean a no waste production. Freezing capacity will amount to 100 tons of finished products per day.

For any further information, please contact Corporate Communication of Norebo Group at contact@noreboeurope.com, call +44 1628 594 000 and visit our website: www.norebo.com

Dear Customer,

We would like to share with you our contingency plan relating to Coronavirus (Covid-19).

With immediate effect, we have introduced a company ban on all business travel. This will mean that our staff will be unable to personally attend any meetings although, wherever possible, we will arrange conference calls or video conferencing.

During this period, it is inevitable that an increased number of our staff will be working from home. Our telecoms and IT infrastructure allow all employees to work remotely and access emails and systems as normal. Direct dial numbers (as displayed on our email footers) will also transfer to individual mobile phones as required. We believe our contingency planning will allow us to retain a high standard of service, and to continue our business as efficiently as possible.

During this period of uncertainty, we will adopt a “business as usual” attitude, and we would encourage communication as normal by email.

Please do not hesitate to contact us if you have any questions.

Your sincerely

Sturlaugur Haraldsson
Managing Director

For any further information, please contact Corporate Communication of Norebo Group at contact@noreboeurope.com, call +44 1628 594 000 and visit our website: www.norebo.com

Norebo Europe sales team returned to Lancaster Hotel in central London to attend an annual event – the National Fish & Chip Awards. This event is a pinnacle, a grand finale of a rigorous eight month judging process which includes mystery shop visits and various assessments. To find the best of the best judges access key performance factors, such as sustainability, customer service, menu innovation, staff training, catering for special dietary requirements, customer service as well as marketing.

According to National Federation of Fish Friers, fish and chips industry is not short of competition with 10,500 specialist fish and chip shops offering the dish in the UK, with an industry generating a turnover of around £1.2 billion annually. Fish & Chip Awards brings together crème de la crème of fish and chip shops and drives healthy competition.

The Cod’s Scallops in Wollaton, Nottingham was titled the Fish & Chip Shop of the Year. This business owned by John Molnar and his wife Helen left all the competitors behind. John Molnar success story sprang from his desire for perfection. In his own words: “I wanted to showcase and serve up the best fish being caught around our isles in a fun and family-friendly environment”.

Norebo congratulates The Cod’s Scallops, this superb Fish & Chip of the Year winner along with all the winners in other categories. To see the full list of winning businesses and individuals in the various award categories of the 2020 awards please click here.

Fish & Chip Awards is an event that celebrates fish and chips dish and industry, something which is so inherently dear to the Brits and which is cherished across generations. Fish and chips is a culinary symbol of the UK, instantly recognised as British. This year when Britain celebrates 75th Anniversary of Victory in Europe Day, we may remember Winston Churchill’s words when he referred to fish and chips as ‘Good Companions’. Moreover, famously British soldiers identified each other during the ‘D’ Day landings by calling out ‘fish’ and the response or password was ‘chips’.

For any further information, please contact Corporate Communication of Norebo Group at contact@noreboeurope.com, call +44 1628 594 000 and visit our website: www.norebo.com

A keel was laid at Severnaya Verf shipyard in St Petersburg for a fourth of six factory trawlers to harvest in the North Atlantic Ocean (project 170701). Construction shall be finished in 2022. The vessel will be operated by Murmansk Region Fleet JSC, part of Norebo Group.

The state-of-the-art vessel is named after Lev Breikhman, an honorary worker of the fishing industry of the Russian Federation, who has been a captain of fishing vessels for many years and achieved outstanding catch results.
Kapitan Breikhman, will produce up to 40 tons of cod and haddock fillets, as well as up to 60 tons of frozen gutted products per day. Also, tinned liver and fish meal will be produced on board, allowing for waste free production. Freezing capacity reaches 100 tons of products per day.

According to Andrey Gulyaev, the Director General of Murmansk Region Fleet JSC, new trawlers will significantly upgrade the Norebo fleet. Mr. Gulyaev commented: “The new vessels will increase catch processing efficiency due to the implementation of no-waste production principle. Already today, a vessel with a similar type of hull is part of Norebo fishing fleet. Operation of this vessel demonstrates increased stability indicators even in challenging weather conditions of the Arctic. The new trawler named after Lev Semenovich Breikhman will be employed for pelagic species fishing in the waters of the North Atlantic relying on modern technologies and the vast experience of Norebo specialists”.

An example of the technological innovations on board of the new vessels is a refrigeration with natural refrigerant – ammonia.

For any further information, please contact Corporate Communication of Norebo Group at contact@noreboeurope.com, call +44 1628 594 000 and visit our website: www.norebo.com

We are proud to announce that Russian long-line fishery of Pacific cod and halibut in the Western Bering Sea has been successfully certified to MSC Fishery Standard on the 8th of October 2019. Therefore,  the MSC certificate holder is Long-Line Fishery Association (the LFA). And our company YAMSy that is responsible for long-line fishery in the Russian Far East fishery region is a founder and party of the LFA.

The full assessment was performed by the Russian Certification Assurance Body (CAB) Marine Certification based in Moscow. In addition, Russian Federal Agency for Fisheries, Russian fishery research institutions and the Fishery monitoring centre supported the process. 

The MSC certification covers three Russian management areas in the Western Bering Sea: Petropavlovsk-Komandorskaya area, Karaginskaya area and West Bering sea area.

Significantly the successful certification of the fishery to the MSC Fishery Standard is a robust assurance that the stocks, fishery management and the fishery comply with high international sustainable fishery standard, which will support the position of Norebo as a Russian supplier of fishery products in major international markets.

Importantly all cod and halibut captured in the above management areas after the 1st of August 2019 subject to requirement for Under Assessment products can be now sold as MSC certified products and bear MSC label.

The MSC certificate and Public Certification Report are available at the MSC website in Track Fishery.

For any further information, please contact Corporate Communication of Norebo Group at contact@noreboeurope.com, call +44 1628 594 000 and visit our website: www.norebo.com

Norebo is pleased to announce its participation at Qingdao Seafood Expo 2019, held between 30th October and 1st November. Thus, Norebo’s team is delighted to welcome visitors, partners and customers at our Stand 0106, located in Hall E3.

Norebo launches its new corporate style and new corporate logo at Qingdao. This constitutes part of our company’s brand’s continuing growth and evolution. Therefore, we refreshed our brand identity to represent who we are today and to symbolize our future.

Moreover, our dedicated team of specialists will be happy to answer all your questions about Norebo’s products and brands: Ocean Spirit, Glacialis and borealis, as well as Seroglazka container terminal.

We look forward to seeing you at the show!

For any further information, please contact Corporate Communication of Norebo Group at contact@noreboeurope.com, call +44 1628 594 000 and visit our website: www.norebo.com

Norebo is pleased to announce its participation at this year’s Seafood Expo Global show, an annual three-day event held in Brussels between 7th and 9th May. Seafood Expo Global is the is the world’s largest seafood trade fair featuring more than 1,940 exhibiting companies from 78 countries.

We invite you to visit our stand located in HALL 11, STAND 2621, where you can familiarise yourself better with our products and 3 brands: borealis, Glacialis and Ocean Spirit.

Norebo representatives will be available at the booth for additional inquiries throughout the event.

We are looking forward to seeing you at the show!

For any further information, please contact Corporate Communication of Norebo Group at contact@noreboeurope.com, call +44 1628 594 000 and visit our website: www.norebo.com

The total number of new factory vessels being built for Norebo has increased to 10.

Norebo and St Petersburg’s Northern Shipyard signed a contract to build further four factory trawlers for the Far East companies of Norebo Holding: AKROS AO, Blaf AO, Roliz OOO, Sakhalin Leasing Fleet AO. Each vessel costs over 4 billion roubles (about $60 m). The order should be complete between 2020 and 2023.

The state-of-the-art multifunctional factory on board of the new vessels will provide waste-free production and advanced processing of fish at sea. Among the products produced by factory-trawlers are chilled fish fillet, mince, roe, fish meal and liver.

Alexander Isakov, head of Far Eastern companies of Norebo Holding, stated that “the trawlers will be harvesting Alaska pollock and herring in the Bering Sea and the Sea of Okhotsk”. He highlighted the fact that since 2017 Norebo has been implementing a fleet renovation project.

“A modern fleet is a requirement of our times. Only the new vessels with hi-tech equipment can offer optimal catch processing, as well as high standards of safety and comfort for the crew” – stressed Mr. Isakov.

Earlier in the year 2017 Northern Shipyard and Norebo contracted construction of six trawlers based on the same design (design created by Icelandic design firm Nautic). The aforementioned six trawlers will be harvesting cod and haddock in the North Atlantic Ocean.

Main characteristics of the new trawlers:

Length – 81.6 m

Width – 16 m

Speed – 15 knots

Tonnage – 5,500 tons

Main engine output – 6.2 MWth

Overall production capacity – 150 tons of fish per day

Freezing capacity – 100 tons of fish per day

Crew – 80 people

For any further information, please contact Corporate Communication of Norebo Group at contact@noreboeurope.com, call +44 1628 594 000 and visit our website: www.norebo.com

Norebo Europe sales team attended the annual Fish &Chips Awards 2019. The Awards, also known as the ‘Oscars’ of the industry, took place in Lancaster Hotel in London on the 24th January. The biggest industry players gathered together for the 31st time since 1988 to celebrate people and businesses across the UK that work hard to offer us the best fish & chips.

Some interesting statistics from the Awards organisers demonstrates that fish & chips businesses are on the rise: “independent fish and chip shops remain the largest outlet for fish and chip meals in the UK, with 109 million servings in the year to September 2018; taking a 54% share of all fish and chip servings in the GB food service sector. In the year to September 2018, total fish and chip servings across the whole of food service totaled 201 million, up +13.5% from 2009 and up +5.7% from the previous year”.

So, it is no surprise that a great number of fish &chips shops across the UK entered the competition this year. A few key performance elements, such as sustainable sourcing, quality, menu innovation and diversification, customer service, staff training processes along with marketing techniques and capabilities are assessed and reviewed by the judges.

Fish and Chip Shop of the Year Award went to Krispies from Exmouth in Devon. Congratulations from Norebo! To see the full list of winning businesses and individuals in the various award categories of the 2019 awards please click here.

The origins of fish and chips as a dish remain a mystery.Most likely we owe fried potato chip recipe to the French or the Belgians. We are almost certain that it was the Jews who introduced fried fish in the 17th century. Fish and chips were long sold separately until 1860 when a Jewish immigrant called Joseph Malin came up with the idea of marrying the two and selling fish & chips dish in his East End London shop. However, some food historians argue that there is no clear winner as this fact about Joseph Malin can be contested. During the reign of Queen Victoria fish and chips gained huge popularity and it was sold as street food. So much so that in 1839 Charles Dickens mentioned a “fried fish warehouse” in his novel Oliver Twist.

Fish and chips remain one of the UK’s favourite takeaways,since fish and mushy peas make it a healthier option than many other takeaway choices. Tradition prevails, and most Brits still prefer to enjoy their fish and chips the old-fashioned way with plenty of salt, vinegar and mushy peas.However, preferences do vary depending on where people live: curry sauce in Birmingham, tomato ketchup in Newcastle, gravy in Manchester and salt ‘n’ sauce in Edinburgh. Please follow the link to familiarise yourself with the How do you like yours? map.

For any further information, please contact Corporate Communication of Norebo Group at contact@noreboeurope.com, call +44 1628 594 000 and visit our website: www.norebo.com

This week they laid the keel for a new state-of-the-art factory trawler for Norebo at St Petersburg’s Northern Shipyard. Norebo is one of Russia’s largest companies involved in the harvesting, processing and transportation of fish. A number of officials and guests from the Federal Agency for Fisheries, the Government of St. Petersburg and Murmansk region, and the Russian Maritime Register of Shipping attended this important occasion. Also present were representatives of other Russian shipyards, the senior management of Norebo and of other companies.

CAPTAIN SOKOLOV VESSEL

The vessel is named Captain Sokolov in honour of Vladimir Sokolov (1954-2015) who graduated from the Murmansk Maritime Academy before joining the Murmansk Trawl Fleet. His professional career led him from seaman, to the master of fishing vessels and later a head of Murmansk Fishing Port. He also worked as a deputy head of the Federal Agency for Fisheries.

It will take roughly two years to complete the Captain Sokolov, the first of six vessels built in St Petersburg under this contract. The five trawlers which follow will be built faster and will be delivered before 2022 to Norebo’s fishing companies in the Northwest Russia Karat-1 JSC, Alternative JSC, Karelian Seafood JSC and Murmansk Region Fleet JSC.

Project 170701, developed by Icelandic design company Nautic (one of the Knarr Maritime companies), is at the basis of the new trawler’s design. It is adapted to the requirements of the Russian Maritime Register of Shipping by the St. Petersburg-based Nautic-Rus design department.

The new trawler will have a capsule-type hull of 81.6 meters in length and 16 meters in width.

The fish processing plant will provide an overall production capacity of 150 metric tons per day, including more than 21 metric tons of a wide variety of cod and haddock fillets, and around seven metric tons of fishmeal per day.

The freezing equipment will have capacity of more than 60 metric tons of product per day. The cold storage capacity will provide storage of up to 1,200 metric tons of frozen fish products or combined storage of 1,020 metric tons of fish products and 334 metric tons of fishmeal. Besides, the vessel will be able to produce and store up to 97 metric tons of canned fishery products (cod liver etc.).

Ilya Shestakov, the head of the Federal Agency for Fisheries, announced at the opening ceremony: “We will start off building 40 fishing vessels in two years in Russia. It is a breakthrough of our country. But this vessel is special for us as it is named in honour of our friend and our teacher Vladimir Sokolov”.

NOREBO’S COMMENTS

Vitaly Orlov, Norebo’s director said that laying of the keel for this first vessel is a great event for the company and the country : “Although Norebo’s current fishing fleet is up-to-date, the time to renew is coming. We spent a great deal of time and effort in choosing both the design of the vessel and the shipyard. Today is a very emotional moment when we lay the keel of the first vessel. I hope that this event today will give a positive signal to the shipbuilding industry: that Russia intends to build vessels that are as good as, or even better, than shipyards anywhere in the world. Norebo, a large Russian company, intends to support Russian shipbuilding. We also want to continue a good tradition to call our vessels after the people who made a great contribution into development of the fishing industry in Russia as Vladimir Sokolov did”.

Vladimir Grigoryev, the CEO of Rybprominvest said: “We’ve set a goal to make an ambitious and unique project and I’m sure we will succeed. Everything captured by this vessel at sea will be processed. This is an innovative project. We’ve analysed all recently developed technologies within the fishing industry in the world and decided to use them in this vessel. For instance, the vessel will be able to operate three trawl gears, it will have a large fish processing factory producing a great variety of fishery products”.

CONSTRUCTION DETAILS

The Russian Maritime Register of Shipping will supervise the trawlers construction. Mikhail Kuteev, the director of the Baltic Branch of the Register explained: “Today’s trawlers are high-tech vessels equipped with complex equipment. Project 170701 is an excellent example of an innovative approach to ship design. The designers created a brand-new architecture. Due to the capsule-type bow outline and a unique construction of haul the trawler will have improved seagoing capacities and increased working area”.

Igor Ponomarev, the CEO of the Northern Shipyard assured that “this vessel will be built on time in accordance with the timeline and obligations of the shipyard”. He added that the Northern Shipyard systematically increases the share of civil vessel projects: “In 2020 our capacity utilization for civil projects will exceed 40%. This year we laid keels for three fishing vessels. Next year we plan to start building four fishing vessels. In the coming years we plan to build nine vessels under two projects. And we hope that the number of orders will increase. This development became possible after the Government adopted a number of crucial regulations aimed at supporting Russian companies and we welcome such changes”.

Today Norebo owns 45 vessels operating in Atlantic and Pacific oceans. Last year Norebo signed contracts with the Northern Shipyard for building six factory trawlers. Those vessels will be used in North Atlantic. Norebo now considers increasing the order for 3-4 vessels in order to renew its fleet in the Russian Far East region. Commissioning of new trawlers will increase economic and production efficiency of Norebo and will increase supply of more value-added products such as fillets, mince, fishmeal and other products for both Russia and foreign markets. Moreover, new vessels will be more economical, safe and comfortable for the crew.

For any further information, please contact Corporate Communication of Norebo Group at contact@noreboeurope.com, call +44 1628 594 000 and visit our website: www.norebo.com

Russia and Norway had talks in the Joint Russian-Norwegian Fisheries Commission on 15-18 October 2018 in Ålesund (Norway) and agreed on TACs for jointly managed stocks in 2019.

The parties of the commission agreed that the stock of NEA cod is in good condition and set the TAC in 2019 at the level 725 000 MT, which is 6.5% less than in 2018 (775 000 MT). This level of the cod TAC is still within the limits of precautionary and sustainable management.

The TAC of NEA haddock Russia and Norway agreed at the level of 172 000 MT, which is 15% less than in 2018(202 305 MT).

Considering the state of the Barents Sea capelin stock and its importance for the marine ecosystem, Russia and Norway agreed to cease commercial fishery of this species in 2019. In 2018 the joint TAC for Russian and Norway was only at the level of 205 000 MT. Having known the predicted decline in the stocks of cod and haddock in the coming years such measure will smoothen the negative dynamics in other commercially important stocks.

The TAC of Greenland halibut in 2019 was set at 27 000 MT, which is the same level as in 2018.

The TAC of redfish (Sebastes mentella) in 2019 was set at the level of 53 757 MT, which is 64.6% higher than in 2018 (32 658 MT). Last time the catch of redfish (Sebastes mentella) was at this level in 1985.

The parties of the commission also noted that garbage in marine ecosystem has become a global challenge and a growing problem in the Barents Sea. Russian and Norway agreed to work for preventing garbage pollution in the marine environment related to fishing activities in this region.

Russian and Norway also agreed a joint research programme in 2019, which will allow collecting scientific data that shall be used for assessment of the commercial stocks and marine ecosystem in the Barents Sea and the Norwegian Sea.

Photograph source: Ministry of Trade, Industry and Fishery of Norway.

For any further information, please contact Corporate Communication of Norebo Group at contact@noreboeurope.com, call +44 1628 594 000 and visit our website: www.norebo.com

Norebo penetrates Russia’s rapidly growing Northern shrimp (Pandalus borealis) market. In the last 5 years there is a stable growth of Russia’s shrimp fishery, annual growth is estimated 12% to 29%.

The company was proud to exhibit the Northern shrimp under its borealis brand at the WorldFood Moscow trade show in September 2018. Norebo’s representative Mr. Sennikov commented on the recent development: “It will be cooked, shell-on shrimp. Russia will be the main market, initially. The product is well known and for us, it’s an advantage to expand the products we offer. Shrimp is a very natural expansion of our assortment”.

For now, Norebo has just recently started to harvest Northern shrimp with one vessel, but more may be added next year.

Exporting the product is the opportunity that Norebo is eager to explore, subject to obtaining EU export approval. MSC certification for shrimp fishery is another goal set by Norebo. Norebo stresses the fact that timing is crucial for obtaining MSC certification, as “we need to understand if the fishery is ready”.

Russian Northern shrimp fishery in the Barents Sea is subject to pre-assessment now and Norebo plans to join the group of Russian harvesters for full assessment of this fishery to MSC fishery standard.

For any further information, please contact Corporate Communication of Norebo Group at contact@noreboeurope.com, call +44 1628 594 000 and visit our website: www.norebo.com

The Alaska pollock fishery in the Russian Sea of Okhotsk has been successfully re-certified. In an announcement by Acoura, the certifier of the fishery, says: ,,Acoura Marine announce the release of the Public Certification Report for the above-named fishery and, subject to successful outcomes from surveillance audits, Russian Sea of Okhotsk pollock is certified under the MSC requirements for Sustainable Fisheries from the date of re-certification (after the current certificate expires on the 23rd September)and for five (5) calendar years following this date. The certificate anniversary date will therefore be 24th September 2018.”

The fishery was first certified under the MSC standard in 2013, which was in an important development for the Alaska pollock industry in Russia. Consumers all over the world can continue to enjoy MSC certified Russian Alaska pollock. Russian Wild Fresh-frozen at Sea Alaska pollock fillets enjoy great success for its quality and great taste on a growing number of markets.

For any further information, please contact Corporate Communication of Norebo Group at contact@noreboeurope.com, call +44 1628 594 000 and visit our website: www.norebo.com

Norebo would like to thank everyone who visited our stand during the 2018 Seafood Expo Global in Brussels last month. Overall, the show was a success, with 1700 exhibiting companies from 75 countries. Number of trade visitors from 140 countries across the world reached over 26,000 people. For Norebo Group this was a fruitful event: for the first time the group was exhibiting under the Norebo name. At the same time we were proud to present our three recently established brands: Glacialis, Ocean Spirit and borealis. New Norebo animation presented at the show gives more extensive information on all of the brands, please click here to find out more.

Moreover, for the first time, retail products under the borealis brand, produced for the Russian retail markets, were displayed. These include skin packed and vacuum packed, frozen products, and MAP packed chilled products.

For any further information, please contact Corporate Communication of Norebo Group at contact@noreboeurope.com, call +44 1628 594 000 and visit our website: www.norebo.com

ANNOUNCEMENT
Hong Kong, 2018-04-17

New Managing Director for Norebo Europe Ltd.

The Board of Directors for Norebo Overseas Holding Ltd announced today the appointment of Sturlaugur Haraldsson as the Managing Director for Norebo groups operations in Europe and US. He will be based in Maidenhead UK. Prior to being named to his new responsibility Mr. Haraldsson worked as VP Sales within Norebo Europe, responsible for sales of fillets.

Hong Kong, 2018-04-17

New Managing Director for Norebo Hong Kong Ltd.

The board of Directors for Norebo Overseas Holding Ltd announced today the appointment of Yuri Satskiy as Managing Director for Norebo groups operations in Asia. Mr. Satskiy will take up his new responsibility concurrent with his current role as General Director for Norebo Asia’s operations in Vladivostok. Mr. Satskiy will share his time between Hong Kong and Vladivostok.

For any further information, please contact Corporate Communication of Norebo Group at contact@noreboeurope.com, call +44 1628 594 000 and visit our website: www.norebo.com

At this year’s Seafood Expo Global in Brussels, our group will be present under our new name Norebo showcasing our recently introduced brands:

Glacialis for our Wild Fresh-frozen at Sea Fillets from Atlantic cod, Alaska pollock, haddock, saithe and Pacific cod.

Ocean Spirit for H&G, WR and industrial blocks from the large range of groundfish and pelagics we catch and freeze at sea.

borealis, our brand for fresh-frozen and chilled portions for retail and foods service.

The exhibition is from 24.-26. April, Norebo’s stand location remains unchanged, i.e. in hall 11, stand 2621. We look forward to welcoming current and new customers to our stand.

For any further information, please contact Corporate Communication of Norebo Group at contact@noreboeurope.com, call +44 1628 594 000 and visit our website: www.norebo.com.

The 2018 quotas for catches of cod, haddock, capelin, Greenland halibut and redfish in the Barents Sea have been agreed between Russia and Norway. The quota for North East Arctic cod, the largest cod stock in the world, will be 775,000 metric tons next year, which is a 13% reduction from 2017 (from 890,000 metric tons).

The TAC for Norway in 2018 will be 343,159 metric tons, including 21,000 metric tons quota for coastal cod. Russia’s TAC in 2018 will be 331,159 metric tons, including 21,000 metric tons quota for coastal cod. The volume for third countries will be 107,682 metric tons.

Total quota for haddock in 2018 will be 202,305 metric tons, of which the Russian share is 86,230 metric tons and the Norwegian share is 95,230 metric tons. Third countries can catch 12,845 tons.

The quota for Greenland halibut will increase by 3,000 tons to 25,500 metric tons, while deep sea redfish quota is increased to 32,658 tons. In addition, the two nations will re-open the capelin fishery in the Barents Sea with a quota of 205,000 tons, after zero fishing since 2015.

The agreement is part of annual fishing negotiations between the two countries in cooperation with International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES).

For any further information, please contact Corporate Communication of Norebo Group at contact@noreboeurope.com, call +44 1628 594 000 and visit our website: www.norebo.com.

The companies known as Ocean Trawlers Europe Limited and Ocean Trawlers Hong Kong Limited have been renamed Norebo Europe Limited and Norebo Hong Kong Limited in order to bring them in line with their parent company’s name, Norebo. The business’ frozen-at-sea harvesting products will also now be sold under new names; the products previously sold under the brand name “Ocean Trawlers” will now be sold under the name “Ocean Spirit” and the products previously sold under the name “Atlantika” will now be sold under the brand name “Glacialis”.

Norebo’s managing director for all export markets, Stephen Collyer, explains: “Norebo is a global business and we want our branding to reflect this – after all, our international supply chain now serves five continents and over 20 countries. Given transparency is so crucial in today’s business world it’s important we are able to communicate a single, global brand both internally and externally.

“We want to make it clear that all the business units within Norebo share the same mission and values, regardless of where they are operating in the world. Streamlining the corporate identity plays to this.”

We have also changed the branding of our products to reflect how each of them has evolved:

• Our premium quality wild, fresh, frozen at sea fish (supplied to chefs, restaurants and fish and chip shops) which was previously sold under the name “Atlantika” will now be sold under the name Glacialis. This reflects the fact harvesting has extended into new fishing grounds covering both the North Atlantic and North Pacific oceans. Under the Glacialis brand we will sell our Alaska pollock and Pacific cod alongside our long-standing Atlantic cod, haddock and saithe.
• Our whole frozen fish products and industrial blocks (sold to industries and distributors), will no longer be sold under the brand name “Ocean Trawlers”; instead, these will be sold under the name “Ocean Spirit”. The Ocean Spirit name communicates our now broader offer, which for example now includes line-caught fish. The new name and logo express the wild and epic nature of the seas.

Stephen Collyer continues: “We’re hugely proud of everything Norebo has achieved over the past 20 years. We want our staff, our partners and our customers to recognise the size of the business and its heritage as being indicative of our long-standing reputation for quality and reliability.

“Each of the new Norebo brands, Ocean Spirit and Glacialis, stands at the forefront of innovation in the sector, both in terms of our products and sustainable harvesting methods. We want our branding to reflect the company’s positive outlook for the future of sustainable fisheries. We take our responsibility as stewards of the oceans seriously and want to ensure wild-caught fish remains a viable food source for generations to come.”

Norebo has now begun to introduce its new packaging and this will come into broader circulation over the course of the coming months. While the brands and design of the boxes themselves has changed, the products inside have not. Norebo continues to provide a premium and reliable service, offering fresh-frozen wild caught fish that are fully traceable to the vessel from which they were caught.

For any further information, please contact Corporate Communication of Norebo Group at contact@noreboeurope.com, call +44 1628 594 000 and visit our website: www.norebo.com.

Atlantika concluded another successful participation at Seafood Expo Global 2017, the world’s largest seafood trade fair, which was held from April 25 to April 27 in Brussels.

Our newly introduced products, such as fresh frozen IQF loins, tails and fillet portions from the Polar Sea+ factory were highlighted. During the course of the show, Atlantika emphasized its current selection of products, such as our Atlantic cod, haddock fillets, Alaska pollock and Pacific cod interleaved fillets.

Kristjan Hjaltason, vice president of sales, Norebo Europe said “It was very satisfying to see the strong reputation for our products and the wish of our customers to grow the product range of wild fresh-frozen at sea fillets we can offer to them.”

Atlantika would like to thank all of the visitors of our stand from around the world for a fantastic show.

For any further information, please contact Corporate Communication of Norebo Group at contact@noreboeurope.com, call +44 1628 594 000 and visit our website: www.norebo.com.

The Oceans Award 2017 for Responsible Business has been awarded to the North Atlantic Industry group for its’ longstanding commitment to sustainable fisheries management of the Northern Barents Sea Fisheries.

Atlantikas’ parent company NOREBO (formerly known as KARAT Group) has introduced a self-imposed precautionary ban on fishing in potentially vulnerable areas from May 2016.

NOREBO is a part of the Industry Group, which is an international group of harvesters, trade associations, unions, processors, manufacturers and retailers. The group reached an agreement, that will ensure the ongoing protection of potentially sensitive areas of the North-East Atlantic Ocean.

The Ocean Awards, held in partnership with Blue Marine Foundation, celebrates individuals, companies, legislators and projects that have made outstanding contributions to the health of the oceans.

More information about the Industry Group receiving the Oceans Award can be found here.

For any further information, please contact Corporate Communication of Norebo Group at contact@noreboeurope.com, call +44 1628 594 000 and visit our website: www.norebo.com.

Atlantikas’ parent company Norebo (previously known as Karat group) signed an agreement to decrease the environmental impact of bottom trawling on the Barents Sea and Norwegian Sea. This was an update on the agreement with the Industry group that was signed in May 2016.

The agreed measures are to develop a registration scheme for vessels that may catch demersal fish in vulnerable marine ecosystems (VMEs); train boat crew members to register VME indicator species as benthic bycatch, map VME areas both within the existing fishing area and in new fishing areas and analyse the Russian fleet’s fishing activity to see how bottom trawl fisheries interact with mapped VME areas.

For more information about the VME agreement, please read press release.

For any further information, please contact Corporate Communication of Norebo Group at contact@noreboeurope.com, call +44 1628 594 000 and visit our website: www.norebo.com.