Takeover of Danish processor may be good news for Scotland

Scottish salmon sales could receive a lift following the takeover of Danish processing company Insula Hvide Sande.

The Norwegian company First Seafood, based in Bergen, has announced its decision to acquire 100% of the shares in the company.

First Seafood Chief Commercial Officer Roy Olsen said the acquisition should give an increase in filleting capacity up to around 40,000 tonnes.

He said that the location gives it a larger sourcing capacity, meaning that it will now be buying salmon from Scotland, Iceland and the Faroe Islands as well as Norway.

He added: “There are strong traditions for seafood in Hvide Sande. The factory that has been purchased has previously operated with white fish and shellfish. In recent years, it has been converted to salmon fillet production and MAP packaging [modified atmosphere packaging] of seafood products. “

First Seafood CEO Andreas Sundres said: “First Seafood was originally a white fish and shellfish company until we decided to build our own factory in Kongsvinger. In other words, First Seafood has a similar history to our subsidiary in Hvide Sande. The ability and will to win is a core value at First Seafood, and I am sure that we share this value with our new colleagues in Hvide Sande.”

Hvide Sande processing plant (photo: KMC Properties)

First Seafood is a relatively new company and was founded just 10 years ago, offering fresh and frozen products to the hotel, catering and restaurant (HORECA) trade.

It became part of the Insula Group in 2016 and in September 2022 a brand new fully owned salmon fillet facility in Kongsvinger started its operations.

Based on Denmark’s west coast, Hvide Sande’s core business is fish filleting, using a range of processes. The company is an expert in nitrogen freezing, a process that preserves the quality and consistency of the fish after thawing.