Dutch company harvests first batch of yellowtail kingfish
Courtesy / Kingfish Maine
Kingfish Maine has begun to harvest a small batch of yellowtail kingfish at the Center for Cooperative Aquaculture Research in Franklin.
As Dutch company Kingfish Co. [Euronext: KING] prepares to build a recirculating aquaculture system facility in Jonesport, the company has been operating on a small scale under the name Kingfish Maine at the University of Maine’s Center for Cooperative Aquaculture Research, an aquaculture research and development facility in Franklin.
The Franklin facility recently yielded Kingfish Maine’s first harvest of yellowtail kingfish.
Limited-release shipments will be distributed over the next two months to restaurants in Maine, Boston, Washington, D.C., and California.
“We have worked three long years to arrive at this point – harvesting our first Dutch yellowtail from Maine and completing all our permits for our land-based Jonesport facility,” Kingfish Maine Operations Manager Megan Sorby said in a news release.
Beginning in 2020, Kingfish Maine deployed recirculating aquaculture system technology at the Center for Cooperative Aquaculture Research to raise fingerlings from its sister company in the Netherlands.
Seafood processor Bristol Seafood is processing the batch at its Portland facility.
“As a certified B Corp., Bristol collaborates with other companies which meet our standards of sustainability and environmental impact,” said Bristol Seafood president and CEO Peter Handy.
Yellowtail kingfish, also known as Ricciola, Hiramasa and Greater Amberjack, is considered a versatile premium fish species that’s well-known in Italian and Asian fusion cuisines. The fish is grown without the use of antibiotics and vaccines. Operations run on 100% renewable energy, sourced from wind, solar and biogas. The company’s facilities operate on seawater.
The first Maine harvest is a milestone for the Kingfish Co., said CEO Vincent Erenst. “Kingfish Maine will be the largest producer of yellowtail kingfish in the U.S., providing local and sustainable yellowtail to expanding markets,” he said.
Kingfish Co. produces 1,500 tons of yellowtail at its Kingfish Zeeland facility in Holland. Expansion is underway and capacity in the Netherlands is expected to reach 3,500 tons this year.
Once the Jonesport facility is fully operational, Kingfish Maine is projected to produce 8,500 metric tons of yellowtail.
The Jonesport facility is fully permitted by local, state and federal regulatory agencies and, earlier this year, a loan insurance request for the $110 million land-based aquaculture facility was approved by the Finance Authority of Maine for project preparation.
Groundwork is expected to begin this year.
At 50,000 square feet, the facility intends to hire up to 100 workers during a phased build-out, although up to 70 full-time jobs at the site are expected once operational.
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Kingfish does not in fact have final permits. The local land use permits are on appeal to the Superior Court. The state DEP permits are also on appeal to Superior Court. Please provide a more accurate story on this project.
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