Aker Seafoods Denmark A/S acquired 60 per cent of the shares in Spanish fishing vessel owner Pesquera Ancora SL, which is based at Vigo in Spain.

This company has a cod quota totalling 2 350 tonnes for 2008 in the Norwegian economic zone and the Svalbard zone. It also has a quota of 80 tonnes for Greenland halibut off Canada as well as the potential to acquire cod quotas in the same area should stocks there increase and a total quota be set. The company owns four trawlers rigged for pair trawling. Two of these vessels have been put on sale. Minor modifications will be made to the remaining ships to shift production on board to frozen and fresh products.

Pesquera Ancora also owns 51 per cent of Transfarex, which in turn holds 24 per cent of the shares in Faroe Seafood A/S. The latter operates eight trawlers and six production facilities in the Faroes. Four of the trawlers, including two delivered as newbuildings from Spain, were acquired in the autumn of 2007 and will first have a full effect on operations from 2008. The company is expected to harvest roughly 20 000 tonnes directly in 2008, principally saithe. Faroe Seafood is one of the largest suppliers of frozen saithe fillets in Europe, but also produces salted and fresh fish. Its raw material consumption in 2007 totalled about 40 000 tonnes. The company’s EBITDA margin was three per cent, which is expected to improve in 2008 because of increased harvesting by its own vessels.


Pesquera Ancora S.L.
Eduardo Iglesias, 18 – Entreplanta
36202 – Vigo
Pontevedra
Spain

Managing director: Ivan Lopez