Blue Shark

Apart from Hake fish products, Seawork is pleased to offer you other variety of fish species such as Blue shark. The processing of Blue shark is almost same as Hake fillets but with certain differences.

The Latin name of Blue shark is Prionace Glauca. Blue shark is caught in South-East Atlantic, by bottom trawlers. Trawling is a method of fishing that involves pulling a large fishing net through the water behind one or more boats. The net that is used for trawling is called a trawl. Bottom trawling is trawling (towing a trawl, which is a fishing net) along the sea floor.

Processing of Blue Shark is as follows:

The frozen gutted and headed Blue shark is skinned and trimmed according to customer specifications. It is then sorted, packed and blast frozen in accordance with good commercial practice to attain a product temperature of -18ºC or below. Skinning is done according to customer’s requirements.

The Blue shark is then coat with a protective layer known as the glazing process. It is glazed at 5-10% (according to customer’s specifications). Then, the trunks are packed individually wrapped (IWP) with high density foiling sheet.

The product can be best used before 24 months from the date of production. No sealing is done as Hake fillets and the weight of the carton is 25kg net.

For the packaging and labeling, if you want to put your own labeling, we are at your disposition or we can do our own packaging which include the name of product, Latin name, EU approval number, Best before and expiry date, address of manufacturer, EAN 128 bar code, FAO area, storage condition and product of Namibia.

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/blue-shark-fillet.html

Or our online video:

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

Seawork catches 10 metric tons of Hake fish per annum

Seawork being the best hake fish supplier catches approximately 10.000 metric tons of whole round hake per annum. Our daily production capacity is ± 25 metric tons of hake fish. As written in our previous blogs, all hake fish are filleted by hand in order to ensure that the best quality products are being offered to our clients.

Seawork also respect green marketing. As Economic growth of our business is accompanied by environmental balance of the oceanic ecosystem, it is therefore inevitable to sustain well grown fishing populations and numerous measures to do so have been taken by the Namibian government and most Namibian 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, every hake fish product either frozen hake fillet or hake fillets leaving our factory can be traced from raw material level to the individual packing and sealing the product itself.

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

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

The WWF states that Namibian and South African Hake fish is not being overfished and is therefore a good choice when buying fish.

For more information, please feel free to visit our website:

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

Or check out our online video on:

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

HACCP - HAZARD ANALYSIS CRITICAL CONTROL POINT

HACCP is the methodical preventive approach to food safety that addresses physical, chemical and biological hazards as a means of prevention rather than finished product inspection. This approach has major benefits to organizations operating within the food supply chain as it enables them to decide key controls over processes and focus resources on activities that are dangerous to ensuring safe food. Retailers,food industry and Government in particular are concerned about ensuring that food is produced safely and that the consumer has confidence in the product. This has led to an increase in legislation over time that has focused upon ensuring safe systems of food production.

HACCP has great importance which it comes to food safety. First of all, it improves food safety. It also increases business awareness of food risks. As Seawork is the best worldwide hake products manufacturer, having the HACCP certificate increases our buyer and consumer's confidence regarding our hake products (frozen hake fillet, hake fillets,hake fillet skin-on, etc...) and also reduces the risk of negative publicity.

The HACCP certificate 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.

Our HACCP system assists us to comply with legislation and to fulfill customer requirements as well as supporting due diligence.

We focus mainly on quality which starts on board our vessels and is monitored right up to the end of a finished product. Since all of our processing is done by hand we ensure the best possible results on our products.

Furthermore our quality department has been audited and certified by an EU-sent commission to prove its conformity with EU-Standards regarding importing regulations and legislature.

We do our best in order to always be ahead and up to date with international quality standards, legislation and regulations.

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

Seawork - HACCP awarded

HACCP is a system which identifies hazards and implements measures for their control. It was first developed in 1960 by NASA to ensure food safety for the manned space program. The main objectives of NASA were to prevent food safety problems and control food borne diseases. HACCP has been widely used by food industry since the late 1970 and now it is internationally recognized as the best system for ensuring food safety.

HACCP is endorsed by the:

• FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization)

• Codex Alimentarius (a commission of the United Nations),

• FDA (US Food and Drug Administration),

• European Union

• WHO (World Health Organization)

There are seven basic principles that must be followed which are:

Principle 1

Conduct a hazard analysis.

Principle 2

After assessing all the processing steps, the Critical control point (CCP) is controlled. CCP are points in a food production and processing at which significant hazards can be controlled or even determined.

Principle 3

Establish critical limit for each CCP.

Principle 4

Set up a system to monitor each CCP.

Principle 5

Establish corrective actions.

Principle 6

Establish verification procedures. The verification process is required to confirm if the system is working properly and that procedures outlined in the HACCP documents are properly being followed.

Principle 7

Record-keeping and documentation.

Seawork Fish Processor is a fishing company based in Walvis Bay Namibia and it is a HACCP certified member.It has been accredited with the HACCP certificate as it is an international seafood supplier. This has ensured that the company has a well managed seafood safety system and their products are of superior quality.

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

Hake fillet skin-on

Hake fish comes from the same family as Cod andHaddock but it is tastier as compared to other whitefish. It is a small fish of averaging 1 to 8 lb in weight, but which has been known to grow up to 60 lbs. There are different species of Hake found over the world but Seawork offers the best Hake fish found in South Africa which is known as Merluccius Capensis.

Calories present in Hake fish: 75; carbohydrates: 0.5 g; fat: 0.9 g; protein: 18 g. it is also rich in calcium, phosphorus and potassium.

Seawork offers a wide variety of Hake products. There are around 15 types of Hake products that are processed at our plant including Hake skin on. All our Hake fish products are filleted by hand which guarantee our clients that top quality hake products are being offered to them.

Seawork offers Hake skin on fillets in different grading. It is available as follows:

2 - 4 Oz, 4 - 6 Oz, 6 - 8 Oz, 8 - 10 Oz, 10 - 12 Oz, 12+ Oz / 70-90 g, 90-110 g,110-130 g, 130-150 g, 150-170 g,170-220 g.

The headed and gutted Hake is de-iced, de-scaled, graded and hand filleted. The fillets are trimmed for blood, bones, fins, black membrane, parasites, roe, guts, loose fish scales, absecces and sorted, packed and quick frozen in accordance with good commercial practice to attain a product temperature of -18ºC or below.

The Hake fillet is plate frozen to attain a product temperature of -18 C or below after thermal stabilization. No glazing is done when processing the Hake fillet. The fillets must be packed skin-down and lengthwise using blue LDPE for interleaving. The product must be packed in such a way that each layer of fillets is interleaved; the fillets are not touching and can be separated easily in a frozen state.

The storage and transport temperature is kept at a minimum of -18ºC and the product can be best used before 24 months from the date of production. The weight of the carton is 5kg net and sealing is 2*5kg cartons single strap clockwise.

We give our clients a wide range of facilities like, they can order as per the grading they need the Hake products to be processed. Also, we can do our own packaging with our labeling on the cartons such as Name of product, Latin name, EU approval number, Net weight, Best before and expiry date, Batch number, Address of manufacturer, EAN 128 bar code.FAO Area, Storage conditions and Product of Namibia.

http://www.seawork.com.na/hake-fillet-skinon.html

Marine Stewardship Council

Being in the fish industry for about 15 years, Seawork Fish processor ltd is one among the leading Namibian fishing companies and we applied the MSC policies to be able to use this icon for its customer peace of mind.

Nowadays seafood consumers are becoming more and more aware of the sustainable resources and based on this, the Namibian fishing companies has decided to be MSC awarded. Sustainability of seafood is a very big issue to Seawork. We have already qualified for the MSC certification but before being qualified for this, we had to respect every policies, requirements and assessments in order to have this blue MSC label in our all Hake fish products being exported worldwide. First of all, seafood environmental standard is our priority. Even the MSC certifies that environmental standard should be respected. This has been contributed by the law imposed by the Namibian government.

Because of all these precautions the biomass of the Hake population has increased by 34% which is a growth from 701,000 to 936,000tons in one year. The Government has even increased the Total Annual Catch (TAC) from 130,000tonnes in 2007 to 145,000tonnes in 2010. This shows that the Namibian authority has well monitored the Hake population and has carefully taken required precautions in order not to affect the marine environment. Also the Worldwide Fund has stated that there has not been overfishing in the zone 47.

Strict rules and regulations have been imposed by the Government in order to manage the fish stock and also prevent over-exploitation. 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. Also, it helps from young fish species being caught.

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 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.

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

Processing of Hake fillet skin-on

Seawork offers a wide range of hake products to its clients. One of them is married Hake fillet skin-on.Basically, it is processed according to customer's requirements.


Seawork offer different types of gradings such as:

85-120g; 90-110g; / 4-6 Oz.

The headed and gutted Hake is de-iced, de-scaled, graded and hand filleted. The skinless fillets are trimmed for blood, Pin Bone Out(V-Cut), fins, black membrane, parasites, roe, guts, loose fish scales, absecces and sorted. Two pieces are married with loin and belly together, packed and quick frozen in accordance with good commercial practice to attain a product temperature of -18ºC or below. After Freezing, the fillets are separated, glazed and bagged.

No glazing is done when processing the Hake fillet skin-on. The fillets must be packed skin-down and lengthwise using blue LDPE for interleaving. The product must be packed in such a way that each layer of fillets is interleaved; the fillets skin on are not touching and can be separated easily in a frozen state.

The storage and transport temperature is kept at a minimum of -18ºC and the product can be best used before 24 months from the date of production. The weight of the carton is 5kg net and sealing is 2*5kg cartons single strap clockwise.

For the packaging and labeling, if you want to put your own labeling, we are at your disposition or we can do our own packaging which include the name of product, Latin name, EU approval number, Best before and expiry date, address of manufacturer, EAN 128 bar code, FAO area, storage condition and product of Namibia.

For more information about Hake fillet skin-on or any other Hake products, please feel free to view our website on:
http://www.seawork.com.na/hake-fillets-married.html