A new fishmeal processing facility has been opened in Warrenton, Oregon, in the Pacific Northwest, that will focus on the upcycling of fish trimmings.
Located at the Port of Astoria’s Airport Industrial Park and owned by Scoular, Da Yang Seafood and Bornstein Seafoods, it’s the first plant of its kind to open in North America in at least 25 years.
The new facility will utilise Da Yang and Bornstein fish trimmings from their nearby seafood processing plants. These will be processed into fishmeal and fish oil for use in the pet food and aquaculture markets, with both marketed under Scoular’s Encompass brand.
Processing will begin in early 2023.
Nebraska-based Scoular is among the world’s largest and most diverse fishmeal and fish oil suppliers.
“Our new joint-venture meets this demand through innovation and by bringing together two long-time local businesses with Scoular to create a sustainable protein ingredient for pet food and aquafeed,” Scoular CEO Paul Maass said.
Bornstein Seafoods Vice President Andrew Bornstein said the company has long sought to utilise 100% of its seafood resources as locally as possible.
“This new facility will allow us to do just that,” he said. “Partnering with Scoular and Da Yang Seafood to not only optimise our ocean resources, but also to reduce our need to ship these resources to distant markets is a big win for our local community. We are really excited to be partnering with these great companies on this project.”
“Having an opportunity like this for Da Yang to partner with Scoular is a dream come true,” said Chih Wang, CEO of Da Yang Seafood. “This is a really happy day for us.”
The US$17.5 million facility, the first tenant of the Port of Astoria’s Industrial Park, has helped to drive the park’s development. The construction project alone has added $5.4 million into the local economy, according to contractor estimates.
“The Port of Astoria welcomes this project to the Airport Industrial Park and Scoular to our community,” said Will Isom, the Port’s executive director. “This investment is a win for local business partners, the City of Warrenton, Clatsop County, the Port of Astoria, and the entire region. Scoular’s commitment to safety, integrity and upstanding business conduct are values shared here in our small town and align with the Port’s mission to generate economic growth in a safe and environmentally responsible manner.”
