Fishmeal from Landes. (Photo: Pesquera Landes/FIS)

Pesquera Landes proves optimistic about recovery, but cautious with investments

Pesquera Landes hopes to overcome the problems resulting from the reduced availability of fish and the loss of facilities resulting from the earthquake in 2010, and expects to close 2014 with positive numbers.

"This year we have had much better results than the previous one. We will have profits and no losses as in previous years," ensured the company CEO, Andrew Fosk, to Diario Financiero.

In recent years the company, located in the Bío Bío region, has been investing in new plants to manufacture products for human consumption, but now it has stopped this process.

Fosk explained investments are “frozen” because the sector is not isolated from the national reality, and that "all this uncertainty and avalanche of new reforms" discourage investors.

According to what the entrepreneur told Diario Financiero, the reform that would affect the company more seriously is the tax one, and explained that when one is forced to pay more and more, one becomes unwilling to invest.

Moreover, he stressed that in the fishing industry there is uncertainty about the quotas to be fixed by the scientific committees, which is expected the government informs about in the middle of this month.

Fosk estimates that quotas should be similar, and is pleased that "now all quotas are being set under scientific and sustainable criteria."

A few years ago, some of the fishing firms in Bio Bio were forced to merge their operations in order to meet lower quotas from overexploited fisheries. That was the case with Pacific Blue (Blumar, Pesquera Bío Bío and Congelados Pacifico) and Marfood (Alimar and FoodCorp).

Pesquera Landes, however, intends to continue to operate independently.

The company captures giant squid by trawling, and about 55 per cent of its business is based on products for human consumption. Currently, it uses horse mackerel to that purpose, and does not rule out the possibility in the future to also use the sardine and anchovy for DHC.

Referring to the possibility that the Government decides to eliminate trawling following a review of this activity, Fosk warns that this would have a very large social and consumer level impact.

In this regard, Pacific Blue chairperson Jan Stengel explained that "if trawling came to an end, human consumption fisheries such as shrimp, prawn and much of hake would disappear completely". And this also implies that about 60,000 workers will be made redundant.

Related article:

- Friosur bought Pesquera Landes aquaculture division

By Analia Murias
[email protected]
www.seafood.media

Address:	Av.Tajamar 183 of. 702, Las Condes
City:	Santiago
State/ZIP:	(6760234)
Country:	Chile
Phone:	+56 2 233 7151
Fax:	+56 2 233 5747
E-Mail:	[email protected]
Skype:	https://www.instagram.com/landes_seafood/
More about:

 

Print