Frozen at Sea

Frozen at Sea (FAS) production is now considered to be the best and most consistent source of supply to the UK’s fish and chip shops. The fish is caught, processed, filleted and frozen at sea on board a number of modern trawlers fishing in the Arctic waters of the Barents Sea and the North Atlantic.

Processing and freezing the catch whilst at sea ensure the nutrients, flavour and freshness are retained and the shelf life is extended to provide a consistent all-year-round supply. FAS has several benefits which provides a higher degree of certainty for your business including

• Freshness, nutrients and taste are retained without compromising quality
• Consistent high quality of taste
• Price is relatively stable
• Extended shelf-life for preserving and storing the product
• Provides supply throughout the year, eliminating seasonal fluctuations
• Minimal wastage as fish can be defrosted as and when required
  

Modern commercial fishing trawlers are sophisticated vessels installed with state-of-the-art equipment which can often be away at sea for up to six weeks. The range of species we supply means that the vessels we work with employ a variety of methods to land the best catches with least wastage and optimum quality

This process requires fish to be caught on individual hooks strung on long fishing lines. The hooks are baited and lines are released very quickly. Thousands of hooks are set each day and the retrieval and setting of them is a continuous 24 hour a day operation.

The fish is processed to specification on board and then frozen within 5-6 hours of catch.

Line caught fillets are sold as premium products because their method used during catch ensures an unrivalled quality of product.

A funnel-shaped, wide-mouthed net is attached to the vessel by long wire ropes fixed to either side of the nets mouth. The net is pulled along by the vessel, with the fish eventually being caught.

Electronic sensors inform the skipper when the net is sufficiently full so that it can be hauled in, avoiding any damage to the fish. The net is then mechanically pulled in and onto the deck of the vessel where it is emptied and the fish then sent on for immediate production.

Fish is processed to specification on board and then frozen within hours of being caught.

Factory freezer trawlers can be between 60 and 70 metres in length and go to sea for up to six weeks at a time with a crew of 35 people.

Onboard fishmeal plants process the waste product so everything can be utilised and sold.