Three Reasons Why Danish Fisheries Are World-Class

Article by Nicolai Nør Pedersen, Fiskeritidende

Danish fisheries are truly world-class.

There are several reasons for this — and at this year’s DanFish, three exhibitors share their perspectives on what makes the industry stand out.

One of them is Karsten Kristensen from the trade union 3F, who highlights the exceptionally strong collaboration between employers, represented by the Danish Fishermen’s Association, and employees, represented by 3F.

– This shows, for example, in how we work together to ensure safety and good working conditions on board. In fact, we’ve managed to remove Danish fishing from the top 10 list of most dangerous occupations in Denmark, says Karsten Kristensen, who is Chief Negotiator at 3F Transport and responsible for the fisheries sector.

– This achievement is the result of collaboration through the Fisheries’ Working Environment Council, which brings together both employers and employees.

Another key point, according to Kristensen, is the existence of a nationwide collective agreement for Danish fishermen — something quite unique globally.

– To my knowledge, Denmark is the only country in the world with a national agreement that covers all fishermen under one unified framework, he says.

That’s one reason Danish fisheries are world-class.

It’s impossible to talk about world-class fisheries without mentioning the quality of the catch itself.

One of Denmark’s largest and most important fish auctions takes place in Hanstholm, where 20–25 different fish species from the North Sea are landed every day.

– The North Sea is recognized as one of the world’s best natural food sources. The diversity and quality of the fish landed here are unmatched, says Jesper Kongsted, Auction Manager at Hanstholm Fish Auction.

According to Kongsted, buyers across Europe look to Denmark and the North Sea for high-quality, edible fish.

He also emphasizes the way Danish fishermen handle their catch:

– Just minutes after the fish are brought on deck, they’re cleaned, packed in ice, and stored in a refrigerated hold kept at 2 to 4 degrees Celsius. The fish remain there until the vessel reaches port — which ensures the absolute best eating quality at the auction in Hanstholm.

That’s another reason Danish fisheries are world-class.

Naturally, to support such a high-quality process, the equipment onboard needs to be world-class as well.

One company delivering that is Carsoe, a Danish manufacturer that has produced onboard fish processing systems for nearly 50 years. Their solutions are installed on larger vessels in Denmark and around the world.

– Danish fishermen are highly receptive to innovation — embracing automation and improved processing technologies to maintain the highest quality of their catch, says Hugo Dissing, CEO of Carsoe.

He explains that the key to successful onboard processing is minimizing the time between the fish being caught and being chilled or frozen:

– When you’re fishing and operating a processing plant onboard, the goal is to reduce the time from landing the fish to cooling or freezing it as much as possible.”

According to Dissing, this level of innovation would not be possible without the close collaboration with Danish fishermen, who play a key role in ensuring top-quality catches through advanced onboard processing.

That’s yet another reason why Danish fisheries are world-class.