Innovation and quality: Why fish processing is big business in Shetland

The continued success of Shetland’s fishing industry does not rely just on the number of vessels heading out to sea every day before landing their catches in the islands.

Back onshore, several enterprising firms have built their businesses on the back of the thriving fishing industry. That ranges from those waiting for the fish-laden boxes to land at auction – whether buyers or processors trading directly to local customers or international markets – to ice factories and agents.

These firms represent a significant part of the fishing-related sector, generating employment and income from the exceptional fresh fish landed in Shetland every day.

While the fishermen putting their lives at risk to catch cod, haddock, and hake (and many other species) are often the unseen faces behind the industry, a friendly fishmonger is still the person most Shetlanders will deal with when they go in search of superior seafood.

One of those is Willum Tulloch, who helps run Island Fish in Lerwick. The business not only sells direct to retail customers, but also to the wholesale trade, sometimes far from these shores.

Island Fish has been operating for seven years, and Willum says it has changed greatly during that time.

“Our company’s role in the fishing sector is processing and retail, so we buy fish off the market to fillet and process for our wholesale and retail customers,” he said.

“Our part is to bring the fish to, in some cases, the end consumer or, at other times, bring it somewhere it can be bought.

“When we started, we were just a filleting service, so people would bring their fish to us to get filleted and packed for onward shipping to the mainland.

“The following year we opened a shop on the premises, which has been a huge success, and recently, over the last year and a half we have gone from having one to two people in full-time employment to now having seven employees.”

Pelagia Shetland is also a buyer and processor of fish, but only from Shetland’s large pelagic fleet. That is the part of the fleet fishing for species that live in the open ocean, away from the ocean floor and shore.

Formerly known as Shetland Catch – and still known to many Shetlanders as that – Pelagia Shetland has a large, recognisable blue warehouse on the Lerwick waterfront.

Its chief executive, Egil Magne Haugstad, explained his company had no activity or ownership of any fishing boats, but bought pelagic fish such as herring and mackerel directly from the vessels themselves.

When they have the best offer, they process the fish “to get the highest value” from it, he said.

“Sometimes it includes filleting the fish by machine and also collecting by-products, for example, roe.

“The trimmings are processed at our factory in Bressay to fishmeal and oil, which are sold predominantly to the salmon producers.”

Pelagia’s customers are worldwide, and Haugstad said they did not distribute finished goods – but sold fish to distributors, processors and packaging companies.

For both, a strong relationship with the local fishing fleet and industry at large is vital. Pelagia deal directly with the pelagic fishermen landing their catches in the isles, while Island Fish are constantly working with Shetland Seafood Auctions as the boxes arrive at the pier.

Willum said their work with the auction was vital to being able to provide top-quality fish to its customers.

“It is also important to be able to fill orders of less-seen fish that aren’t frequently landed through the Shetland markets,” he added.

Another crucial cog in the Shetland fishing picture is LHD Ltd., which provides everything from the buying and selling of fish to managing a range of local fishing boats.

Not only that, it has its own wire store for vessels to grab new gear or get important repairs, as well as a net store and two ice factories which can deliver bins of ice to fish markets, processors or boats – even at weekends and all hours of the night.

And they also deliver fuel directly to boats at any harbour they request it.

Every business has to keep up with the speed of progress in the industry, and Haugstad said Pelagia Shetland expands “a bit every year”.

For Willum, he said the fishing sector “continues to thrive” – and he said the “superior quality” of the catches was the reason why.

“Boats here fish for one to four days before landing their catch at the market, whereas in Peterhead or through the country, most boats have been fishing for 8-10 days before landing their catch at the market,” he explained.

“Shetland caught and landed fish is recognised nationally as a top-quality product, which it deserves.”

Both think that the industry is only heading upwards still.

“The Shetland pelagic fishing vessels will do very well in the future,” Haugstad said confidently. “The pelagic [sector] will continue to develop.”

Willum thinks the industry will continue to develop in the next decade, but is adamant that the quality of Shetland fish on offer at home and all over the world will continue to be of the highest quality.

“I have no fear that for years to come, Shetland fish will be available and will continue to provide a healthy, tasty, and affordable as possible food source.”