Kingfish serves up first batch of US yellowtail
The Kingfish Company is celebrating its first harvest of Dutch yellowtail produced in Maine, in the north-eastern USA.
The first small batch of fish will be distributed to the restaurant trade, even though the company’s full-scale RAS (recirculating aquaculture systems) facility there has yet to be built.
The group’s subsidiary, Kingfish Maine is working with the Center for Co-operative Aquaculture Research (CCAR) in the US as it prepares for the construction of the Maine facility.
Kingfish Maine operations manager Megan Sorby said: “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.
“This would not be possible without the collaborative work with our team at Kingfish Zeeland and our crew here at CCAR. We are excited to bring the first Dutch yellowtail from Maine to the market.”
It was almost three years ago that Kingfish Maine began deploying the same advanced RAS technology at CCAR to raise fingerlings as its sister company in the Netherlands uses for yellowtail production.
This small limited release batch of yellowtail from Maine will be distributed and served at restaurants in Maine, Boston, Washington DC and California over the next two months.
Maine-based company Bristol Seafood, which recently announced its B Corp. certification, is processing the limited reserve batch at its Portland facility.
Bristol Seafood CEO Peter Handy said: “We are proud that the Kingfish team is entrusting us with processing and packaging its first Maine harvest of sustainably-raised Dutch yellowtail. We look forward to supporting Kingfish Maine as the company fully develops its facility in Jonesport.”
Kingfish CEO Vincent Erenst added: “Our first Maine harvest is a milestone for the Kingfish Company. Our US facility will mirror the operational excellence proven in the Netherlands.”
Kingfish Maine team. Pictured from left; Tom Sorby and Megan Sorby, Operations Managers; Liz Groover, Hatchery Technician (Not pictured, Tom Reynolds, Lead Technician)
