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Trade deal disappoints Norwegian seafood processors Seafood Norway, the employer trade body which represents both aquaculture and fishing companies, has said it is disappointed with the UK-Norway trade deal, describing it as a lost opportunity. And the seafood industry in Iceland is not too happy either
THE agreement between London, Oslo and Reykjavik was signed in June - as part of a trio of trade deals which also included Iceland and Liechtenstein - and hailed by senior politicians on all sides as a deal which will safeguard and strengthen
the seafood sector. But it is not a view universally shared by industry leaders. Seafood Norway CEO Geir Ove Ystmark said the government had not succeeded in its aim and would mean the industry was, by and large, standing still. He states: “What
we are left with is a lost opportunity. The industry has all the way asked for lower tariffs on processed products. This would have generated (processing) activity and created jobs in Norway.” Seafood Norway believes the deal
means the country will remain a largely raw material supplier. Norway’s largest seafood organisation believes that Norway will now remain a raw material supplier with this agreement. “The government has given up a unique opportunity to put in place an agreement that would provide important - and necessary - industrial development along the coast.” Seafood Norway chairman Paul Birger Torgnes said the country needed profitable and long lasting jobs in order to secure its welfare
direction. Instead, we more or less stand on the spot resting, without any of the party speeches about the investment in the What we sea and seafood being are left with realised.” The agreement has is a lost also been met with opportunity disappointment by Fisheries Iceland (SFS), which claims the deal did not include improved market access for its members’ products. state into the future. Heiðrún Lind Mar“This must be the teinsdóttir, CEO of SFS last time we let such said seafood made an opportunity pass up more than 60% of us by,” he added. Iceland’s exports to the “ This agreement UK and this should have could have been an had stronger emphasis important step in that during the negotiations.
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Iceland’s Marel set to take over Valka IcelandIc food processing group Marel has struck a deal to acquire Valka ehf, a fish processing business also based in Iceland. Under the deal Marel will acquire more than 90% of Valka’s share capital and the remaining shareholders will be invited to sell their stock on the same terms. The purchase price will be paid 50% in cash and 50% in Marel shares, except for smaller shareholders who will have the option of a full cash payment. Sellers that receive Marel shares will undertake a lock-up period of 18 months. Valka operates in the salmon and whitefish processing industries. Its product range includes waterjet cutting, trimming, and grading solutions for whitefish and salmon. Valka is based in Iceland and Norway and its annual revenue is around €17m. The company has 105 employees. Helgi Hjálmarsson, Valka’s
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founder and ceO, will take on a role as Director of Solution Integrity within Marel. He said: “The establishment of Valka in 2003 was a big step for me after nine excellent years in Marel where I worked on many innovative projects. By joining Marel you could say we are moving back home because both companies share the same vision and passion for developing high-tech processing solutions that transform the way fish is processed in a sustainable way. “Our combined product offering will make us stronger together and even better at providing full-line solutions for our customers.” Guðbjörg Heiða Guðmundsdóttir, Executive Vice President Marel Fish, said: “We are excited to join forces with Valka, an innovative provider of advanced processing solutions for the fish industry. Valka is technologically very strong and has good insight into market needs.
“Together the companies will build on the best of both, increase scale, accelerate innovation and strengthen our combined offering to continue to provide our customers with best-in-class processing solutions in the growing food processing industry.” Earlier this year Marel ac-
quired a 40% stake in Stranda Prolog, the Norwegian supplier of salmon processing solutions. The closing of the Valka acquisition is subject to customary closing conditions, including anti-trust approval from the Icelandic Antitrust Authority, and is expected to take place later this year.
Above: Guðbjörg Heiða Guðmundsdóttir (L) and Helgi Hjálmarsson
www.fishfarmermagazine.co.uk
12/07/2021 14:09:17
