Kingfish Maine has harvested its first Dutch yellowtail from Maine, with a limited release of the first fish to be commercially-produced in the United States.
As part of the Kingfish Company, Kingfish Maine is currently operating at the Center for Cooperative Aquaculture Research (CCAR) in Franklin as it prepares for construction on a recirculating aquaculture system (RAS) facility in Jonesport, Maine.
“We have worked three long years to arrive at this point - harvesting our first Dutch Yellowtail from Maine and completing all our permits for our land based Jonesport facility,” Kingfish Maine Operations Manager Megan Sorby said. “This would not be possible without the collaborative work with our team at Kingfish Zeeland and our crew here at CCAR. We are excited to bring the first Dutch yellowtail from Maine to the market.”
Beginning in 2020, Kingfish Maine deployed the same RAS technology at CCAR to raise fingerlings from its sister company in the Netherlands. This small batch, limited release will be distributed and served at restaurants in Maine, Boston, DC and California over the next two months.
The harvest is a Maine-collaborative venture. Bristol Seafood, which recently announced its B Corp certification, is processing the limited reserve batch at its Portland facility.
“As a certified B Corp, Bristol collaborates with other companies which meet our standards of sustainability and environmental impact,” Bristol Seafood President & CEO Peter Handy said. “We are proud that the Kingfish team is entrusting us with processing and packaging its first Maine harvest of sustainably-raised Dutch yellowtail. We look forward to supporting Kingfish Maine as the company fully develops its facility in Jonesport.”
Kingfish Company CEO Vincent Erenst said the first Maine harvest was a milestone for the company.
“Our US facility will mirror the operational excellence proven in the Netherlands. Kingfish Maine will be the largest producer of yellowtail kingfish in the US, providing local and sustainable yellowtail to expanding markets.”
The Kingfish Company currently produces 1,500 tonnes of Dutch yellowtail at its Kingfish Zeeland facility. Expansion is currently underway and capacity in the Netherlands will reach 3,500 tonnes in 2023.
Once the Jonesport Maine facility is fully operational, Kingfish Maine is projected to produce 8,500 tonnes of yellowtail.
