Sjólaskip hf. and Samherji hf. have come to an agreement regarding Samherji hf. purchasing the overseas operations of Sjólaskip hf. and its associated companies.
These companies have operated six factory ships and two service ships under Mauritanian and Moroccan jurisdiction. Sjólaskip hf. has its headquarters in Iceland but has operating bases on the Canary Islands.
Sjólaskip hf. has operated fishery vessels by Mauritania and Morocco for the past 10 years. The operation has been consistently increasing and the business has been doing well, now employing over 1,000 employees.
The fishery vessles are similarly sized and equipped as the Engey RE which Samherji hf. recently bought. The ships principally fish for mackerel, horse mackerel and sardinella. The catch is processed on board and the ships are equipped with powerful fish processing machines and fishmeal plants. There are about 100 fishermen on board each ship.
“The operations of Samherji hf. overseas have grown steadily since they started in 1994 and will now be around 70% of our turnover”, said Þorsteinn Már Baldvinsson, director of Samherji hf. “This purchase is the largest investment project that Samherji has undertaken. With it there will be a certain change in our operations because we have so far only operated in the North Atlantic Ocean. We will look at the possibilities there carefully and believe that our experience and knowledge will be very useful in this project. Furthermore, it is clear that this investment calls for some structural adjustment within Samherji hf. We are taking over a business that is well operated and has grown and thrived and we don’t expect to make a lot of changes to the operation” said Þorsteinn Már.
Sjólaskip hf. began its operations in the Moroccan Jurisdiction in 1997. The business started off slowly but has gown rapidly with every passing year.
After this transaction Sjólaskip hf. will own one ship, Delta, which operates under the Moroccan jurisdiction and unloads fresh fish to be processed in that country.
