Hake fish is filleted by hand because of flexibility

At the beginning of Seawork, hand filleting was the only option but with years, there has been some propositions like why not use machines to do it. It was a brilliant idea to use machines so that we can reduce cost on the long term basis and generate more profit but the boss was not really keen with it. We were quite anxious about his idea but finally it seems that nowadays it is our most effective tool. What would have been a saving in cost has become an extraordinary flexibility for the company.


OK, it may seems strange what I just wrote but you will understand pretty soon. Because of our different demand for Hake products it is quite hard to constantly change machines and re-organized everything, whereas while keeping our labor force working, changing the process is just a matter of second. I am not kidding, it took only 30 seconds, everything changed, weight, type of the processing (skin on or off or boned or deboned) everything moved so quickly. We process 20 tons minimum per day and believe if we have 5 clients ordering Hake locally we should be able to deliver the next day with the required specifications.


This is the business aspect of the company but on the other hand, we offer jobs to 700 people and 100 additional people at sea. We contribute to the Namibian economy in various ways. Thanks to our company but a bigger thank you for our labor force we are able to give the most out of our processing plant. This is because we look after our employees and offer them good work conditions that they are so productive and enthusiastic to come to work.

For more information about our plant, please feel free to check our website on:
http://www.seawork.com.na/about-us.html 

Or our online video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tqwI4_e1u9o

Grilled Hake au gratin

For weight watchers, Hake fish is good for health.

French dish: Grilled Hake au Gratin Recipe

Serves: or 4 people

Ingredients:

• 4 Hake (about 170 grams each)

• 57 grams breadcrumbs

• 57 grams butter

• 85 grams grated cheddar cheese

• ¼ spoon of mustard powder

• Salt and pepper for the taste

Preparation of the French Grilled Hake au Gratin:

• Grill the breadcrumbs until golden and leave to decrease the temperature.

• Salt and pepper the Hake fillet (both sides) & put the butter on one side only.

• Place the steaks on foil under a medium grill butter side up for 7 to 7 minutes. (depending on the thickness of the Hake fillets)

• Then turn the fish over and cover with a mixture of the breadcrumbs, cheese, mustard powder, salt and pepper and grill for a further 6 to 7 minutes.

• Garnish with a few lemon twists and serve.

• This would be perfect with jacket potatoes and green beans.

Comments:

Gratin adapted from French cuisine is a type of casserole dish that is covered with Béchamel sauce or Mornay sauce, topped with buttered breadcrumbs and/or grated cheese and either baked or broiled, then served in its baking dish with a golden crust.

The pangasius from Vietnam

The Pangasius fish from Vietnam


Few weeks ago we have been talking about the problem of the Pangasius fish coming from Vietnam. While searching about some information on the internet, I came across a very important article on the web. As per this article, it is said that human male urine are injected to the pangasius fish so that the female can have more eggs and be bigger in size. I would request each and everyone entering this blog to have a look at this as it seems very serious.


Information obtained from:

http://www.dietmindspirit.org/2008/01/30/why-you-shouldnt-eat-this-fish-pangas-pangasius-vietnamese-river-cobbler-white-catfish-gray-sole/

Protection of Hake exploitation

Protection law about Hake over-exploitation.


Because of an increase in demand for Hake fillet and hake H&G, a problem resulted to this sharp increase in sales for these Hake derives. Seawork being part of the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) make sure that all the new Namibian law is being respected and applied carefully. For the year 2009 the TAC (Total authorized Catch) stayed the same as 2008 which is 130,000tons. Because of all these precautions the biomass of the hake population increased by 34% which is a growth from 701,000 to 936,000tons in one year. Fortunately the Namibian Authority monitored the Hake population carefully and limits the environmental effect.


This is what happened in the Argentinean and Uruguayan Hake. Because of the over-exploitation, the price for the product has risen like mad because due to scarcity. The Argentinean Hake has declined by 11% based on the figures published by the FAO in 2007 and the Hake values has increased from 88million to 92million only in 365 days. Uruguay has to face the same problem because Argentina and themselves are attributed by the same fishing area by the FAO which is area 41.


Because of the rise in price, the South American Hake fillet, Hake H&G or any other Hake derives  have increased due to the scarcity of the product. The South American countries had to face rise in unemployment and lost in clients due to this careless attitude. Nowadays Namibia and the Namibian fish processors stick to the TAC allowed by the government because they are aware that if they increase their level of production they will be in a very difficult situation in the coming years.

http://www.seawork.com.na/sustainability.html 

Hake fillets with Creole sauce recipe

We are so lucky, at Seawork, there are some people coming from exotic island in the Indian Ocean. As we want to go out of the traditional marketing thing and only focus on selling and looking for new customers, we decided to focus on the human aspect of things and less business orientated. Today we are going to focus on something that has never been done before. We are going to give a receipt coming from the exotic and paradise island of Mauritius. I don't know guys if you have already been there but this is so nice and the winter is like summer in Europe.

Today I am going to share a recipe with you that made my weekend. Here we go:

Easy Baked Hake with Creole Sauce Recipe

Serving for 6 people

Ingredients for the dish are:

• 6 Hake fillets (about 170 to 185 grams)
• 3 tablespoons of margarine
• Garlic powder
• Salt
• Creole Sauce (For the Creole Sauce we'll show you below)

Ingredients for the Creole Sauce:

• 1 medium diced onion
• 2 celery stacks, chopped thinly
• 1green pepper, chopped into strips
• 2large tomatoes, sliced in cube
• 2tablespoon of oil
• 2/3 cup of water
• 1 teaspoon of sugar
• 2 garlic cloves
• 1pinch of oregano
• half teaspoon of salt
• half teaspoon of thyme

How to prepare the Creole Sauce:

Just pre-heat your frying pan with oil for about 4secs and just put the sliced onions for about 30secs, then add celery, green pepper and then add soft tomatoes after 1mins, water and finally the seasonings.

Cover the simmer for about 15mins, stir occasionally.

How to cook the Baked Hake with Creole Sauce:

• Sprinkle the Hake fillets lightly with salt and garlic powder. Leave it for 20 to 30 mins according to thickness of the Hake. It may seem long but the Hake fillet will absorb the seasoning.
• Place the Hake fillets in a well greased baking pan and add margarine on top of each of the fillets.
• Preheat at 350 degrees and insert the baked Hake for 30mins
• While waiting for it, prepare the Creole Sauce.
• When ready, place the baked Hake fillets on a plate and take a spoon of hot Creole Sauce to spread over it.

Now have the pleasure to taste the delicacies with your friends who will definitely be impressed.

Consumption of frozen Hake fillet is good to loose weight

For weight watchers, Hake fish is good for health.


This is an article that will definitely generate some interest as most of the people are weight conscious. I have been looking at how to market Hake but the simple question i asked myself is... Do people know if Hake is good for health? OK, some people don't know that some fish are high in fat like Salmon for example but white fish like Hake is really good for health. While eating a piece of Hake fish I was asked to think about something that will make our blog interesting and what's more interesting than losing weight.


Hake is considered to be good for both man and women. A grilled Hake of 100gms contain only 113 calories, which is perfect to have with some roasted potatoes for the ladies who are following a diet and men as well. But for those who want to gain weight Hake product is perfect as it is high in hormone testosterone. Ladies please don't be afraid, you won't change to become more masculine but just to say that it is really good for muscles.


Basically as Hake is low in fat as it is a whiting fish, the percentage of fat is quite low, but it also depend on what type of cooking techniques you are going to choose. The baked type is the best one, with low fat as less oil is used and it will have a much better taste if the white hake turns into a delicious light brown or gold color. Although we are suppose to promote Seawork processing in this blog we also make sure that people know what type of products they are buying and how to make the most out of it.


It would be worthless to put our website and our video links as it has nothing to do with our company. But we firmly believe that knowing what you are eating is a good start for a diet.

Our increase in Hake fillets and frozen Hake fillet

Rimaco Ltd is our Marketing company and they have been doing a great job for Seawork and this is why thanks to the online marketing strategies, in about only 2months Seawork got about 179 visits on its website and about 71 people who contacted our department for quotations. We are actually accessing the blog via Rimaco as it is their department which created this blog for us. We are not geeks in I.T or website thing and this is why Peter contacted Rimaco Ltd for their services. I would like to say thanks for Hema and Jerome for their fantastic work, without their knowledge it would have been impossible for me to talk to you right now.


Our Hake fillet product is actually advertised on the web via different medium of communication. As a marketeer I find it fantastic to use the internet (which is free) to expand and widen our opportunities.


The frozen Hake fillets caught, processed and packed in Seawork are among the most trustful product that can be bought. Our products ranging from Hake skin-on to Hake H&G (also called Hake HGT) are at competitive prices. Of course, either you focus on high quality products or prefer to buy very cheap product which can put your beloved family at risks. We do consider that our price is among the most competitive in the range of high quality Hake suppliers and for the additional service like personalized packaging is another option offered to our clients.


Seawork is very present on the web, for example 44% people who access our website come from Search engines and 37% from direct traffic, thanks to our communication strategy set up by Rimaco Ltd. At Seawork, we control and access all the services that can be a benefit for our company. Rimaco evaluates our website and communication strategy and we are constantly kept informed about the work done to make sure we are offering the most competitive products and very present for our clients.


For further information concerning our products, please visit us on:
http://www.seawork.com.na/fish-processing.html 

Hake fillet products Vs Pangasius.

Hake fillet Vs Pangasius.


Based on the recent articles the fish industry is facing a real problem from the fish obtained from Vietnam. The Pangasius, type of fish brought up in the Mekong River Delta is not really of high quality due to some impurities in the river itself. Most of the fish exported to some countries like Mauritius are facing problems because it is not under EU specifications. The HACCP is a certificate that is compulsory for fish exporters to Europe. This is why now some Governments are showing their concerns and are making things tougher for those who are trying to buy fish products from cheap suppliers to make the maximum margin of profit.

Seawork is using this opportunity to supply Hake as a substitute to the Pangasius fish. Hake fillets are known to have a better and more accentuated taste than the Pangasius and this is why it is the premium choice in countries like Spain and Italy. Frankly speaking, it is better to spend few cents more but be sure that your family is having a high quality product with an excellent taste.


As a marketer, I myself had to compare Hake and the Pangasius fish to know what product I am advertising and convincing people to buy. Resulting from this test between these two was really mind-blowing. I never thought that Hake was so good. OK, it is also true that I had fresh Hake but even frozen Hake was a really pleasure for my senses when compared to the Pangasius fish. I am not saying that the Pangasius was that bad but for few more cents it is much better to have a good Hake fillets in Thai sauce which makes you end up a nice weekend.


I personally think that people should take care of what they eat, does not mean that because the product is displayed in supermarkets that it is 100% good for health. As I speak for Seawork, I can guarantee that our product is trustful to 100% and to prove this, I would recommend you to have a look at our website to see about our certificates and how we push ourselves for our clients to have the most of what we are offering them. Although we only sell in bulk to fish distributors and fish processors, I think you deserve to know where your food is coming from.


Source of article:

http://www.dietmindspirit.org/2008/01/30/why-you-shouldnt-eat-this-fish-pangas-pangasius-vietnamese-river-cobbler-white-catfish-gray-sole/

For more information concerning about Hake frozen fillets or any other product based of Hake, please feel free to view our website on:
http://www.seawork.com.na/main-products.html

Or our online video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tqwI4_e1u9o

Hake fillets and frozen Hake fillets from Seawork

At Seawork we believe that our clients deserve the best out of our service and this is why our Hake fillets are done manually. Personally, as a marketer working for Seawork, I was really amazed by the quality and the rapidity of the work that can be completed in one day. While being in Namibia, Lino, one of the Seawork experienced guys told me that once they filleted about 40tons of Hake in 24 hours. Fortunately there are 3 shift systems that allow the company running.


The Hake fish kept chilled just after the catch is directly transferred to the processing company based in Walvis Bay, Namibia. Before going to Namibia myself, I thought that Seawork was a small company lost in Africa in the middle of nowhere, but no. Seawork is huge, really huge and they have developed techniques how to be really flexible to response to the demand of their clients. Tailor-made packaging, special packing techniques and high level of output are the key tools for the Seawork success.


OK, that's true; people would say because I work for them I will only say the good points but no. As each and every company, they have their little issues like, Lino arguing with Dan about glazing the product or not because of cost problem. But with all these internal issues, Seawork is doing the most so as to fulfill the demand of reliable clients. Fishing industry is a competitive business and this is not what Seawork want to be. Seawork see things more like a partnership between their company and their clients as it is a win win situation. Helping our clients grow is also part of our job and goal by supplying high quality service at reasonable price.

For more information about us please feel free to check our website on:
http://www.seawork.com.na/about-us.html 

Or our online video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tqwI4_e1u9o

Moulded loins Hake fish

Seawork processing is actually proposing a new product called Moulded loins. The Moulded loins is a Hake based product proposed by Seawork for its clients. The moulded loins are actually offered in different parts of Europe and due to the increase in demand, Seawork would like to increase its transactions to other part of the world such as USA, Canada or Asia.

The moulded loins is basically about 500gms which can be glazed (for additional protection and a longer time conservation) according to the client's will. As we can also pack in client's packaging, moulded loins can be exported directly to the client which does not have to spend more time on packaging.

For more information about Hake frozen fillets or any other products based of Hake, please feel free to view our website on:

http://www.seawork.com.na/hake-moulded-loins.html



Or our online video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tqwI4_e1u9o

Safety measures taken by Seawork for Hake products

Seawork processing has adopted the HACCP certificate till the start of the company. First of all what is HACCP??


At SEAWORK a "Hazard Analysis Critical Control Points System" (HACCP), a food safety management system has been implemented since the start of the company. The system relies on a systematic approach to the identification and assessment of the hazards and risks associated with a food operation and the defining of the means of their control. It is a preventative system for ensuring the highest hake food safety possible, but is not a stand-alone system. It is built upon other programs such as Good Manufacturing Practices (GMPs) which are built into our food safety system. Our HACCP system undergoes a bi-annual audit from SABS (South African Bureau of Standardization, Cape Town) to ensure that the company conforms to the necessary criteria. A certificate on compliance, valid for the next six months is issued.
 

HACCP has been endorsed worldwide by organizations such as Codex Alimentarius (a commission of the United Nations), the FDA (US Food and drug Administration), the European Union and by several other countries, including Canada, Australia, New Zealand and Japan.

Each and every product which is Hake fillets, frozen Hake fillet, Hake H&G, boned or deboned has to undergo through this certificate, resulting to a guarantee that our product is of high standard.


As all our Hake fish are filleted by hand for further processing. Every product has to be scanned through a metal detector for safety reason. We do our best to keep the quality of work to high standard so that our clients are sure that the product provided is of high quality.

For more information about frozen Hake fillets or any other products based of Hake, please feel free to view our website on:
http://www.seawork.com.na/quality.html 

Or our online video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tqwI4_e1u9o

Hake fish protection

Seawork processing ltd makes sure that the economic growth of our business is accompanied by ecological balance of the oceanic ecosystem. It is inevitable to sustain well grown Hake fishing populations. Numerous measures have been taken by the Namibian government, fishing associations and companies.


Since consumers are becoming more and more aware of the importance of sustainable resources, the Namibian Government and fishing companies are striving to become MSC (Marine Stewardship Council) awarded.


Since sustainability is a big issue to SEAWORK, we have already been accredited with the MSC - Chain of Custody certificate. This entitles us to handle MSC certified fish from sustainable resources all over the globe and we are making sure that every product leaving our factory can be traced from raw material level to the individual packing and sealing the product itself.

Nevertheless the following facts emphasize how well the Atlantic coastline is standing, especially the Namibian exclusive economic zone:


The Namibian coast is approximately 1500km long and is arid desert along its entire length. Because of the desert coastline, the Namibian coast has few urban settlements, unlike most other coastlines in the world, which tend to be very densely populated. The lack of dense settlements means that there is not much pollution in Namibian marine waters, which could adversely affect the marine ecosystem.

According to the FAO: " with 580.000 Km² Namibia has one of the most productive fishing grounds in the world, based on the Benguela Current System, one of the four eastern boundary up welling systems in the world"


Furthermore the Namibian fishing industry is bound to very strict restrictions. For example, the TAC (Total allowable catch) quotas which ensures the ecological balance of the population during the fishing season.

In addition, Trawling for Hake is not permitted in less than 200 m depth, in order not to affect other species natural habitat and to minimize by-catch.

The conformity of the TAC (Total Authorized Catch) is ensured by independent, government appointed fishery Inspectors, who must be present on every vessel at sea and on every landing of fish.

The closed season lasts for at least one or two months, September and October, depending on research results of stock Levels in order to ensure natural regeneration and to allow regrowth of populations.

The Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources through its Directorate for Resources Management, continues to conduct annual scientific research aimed at quantification of the resources and the state of the environment.

Resource Management exists in FAO region 47 to provide advice and take action needed to manage the sustainable utilization and conservation of living aquatic resources.

For more information about us please feel free to check our website on:

http://www.seawork.com.na/sustainability.html

Or our online video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tqwI4_e1u9o

Seawork Fish Processors (Pty) Ltd

The SEAWORK Fish Processors (Pty) Ltd is a fishing and processing company based in Walvis Bay, Namibia, specializing in the catching, value adding and marketing of fresh and frozen seafood products. Hake fillets, Hake H&G, boned or deboned, skin on and skin off and loads of variety of Hake derives are processed in our factory to give a wider range of choice to our clients.

As a truly customer orientated processor, every single fish passing through our production is selected and filleted by hand securing a superior quality finished product at all times! Furthermore we take pride in our constantly growing product portfolio, due to innovative product development, as we are able to meet almost all our customers individual needs concerning a top class finished product including specific trimming and shaping, as well as customized packaging. 

Since its inception, the company has remained true to its mission of being a truly customer orientated value adding specialist. This is why with our wide range of product, we offer opportunities and possibility to our clients to widen their choice and their target market to give the best product to the final consumers.

For more information about frozen Hake fillets or any other products based of Hake, please feel free to view our website on:
http://www.seawork.com.na/about-us.html 

Or our online video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tqwI4_e1u9o