Seafood from Holland - A principle of teamwork

From the fisherman through to the exporter: quality, modern management and responsibility are the main priorities

"On board ship everyone is responsible for their actions." Within the traditional Dutch fishing industry this principle is known as the "co-management system". This boils down to teamwork for the sake of communal interest.

Teamwork is the foundation of the central role Holland plays as the largest and most important centre in Europe for fish and shellfish. Holland acts as the European market place in this area. Products from their own catch and those that have been imported are sold throughout Europe and beyond

Processing quality and product quality stand central from the catch and processing right through to export, which has now easily passed the two billion euro mark. All work is done in a progressive manner by continuously carrying out changes and improvements and through a combined effort the quality can constantly be optimized.

Holland is one of the largest European suppliers for fish and shellfish. Fishermen, auctions, processors and exporters all supply fish and shellfish in their own very modern way, which has often not even come from their own coastal waters.
Holland imports around 1.4 billion euro in fish and exports some 2 billion euro in value. Holland is therefore a real crossroads for trade. How are they so successful?

Responsibility begins on board ship

Dutch fishermen have made their fishing boats into proficient and expertly equipped vessels. Plaice and sole, Northsea shrimp, mussels from Zeeland, small quantites of cod and of course the matie herring are Holland's "golden" fish types.

These days things on board ship are a lot different to how they used to be. As within the rest of Europe the Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) system has been implemented. This American hygiene-control system is a recognized standard throughout the world. In short the HACCP system entails that safety measures are met in places where things could go wrong and that continuous control is practised. In this way the essential points of quality are manageable.

Everybody works according to this system. Short trawl periods, clean stainless steel in the fish hold and crates that are not overloaded to avoid the fish being flattened. The captain and his crew work closely together to deliver quality.

This also applies to keeping control over the fish stocks, a matter which the Dutch fishing industry now stands firmly behind. Therefore during the spawning season for plaice which is usually during the first few months of the year less plaice is caught. After all emptying the sea of fish does not give a good prospect for the future.

Holland has set up a quotas system, that is is tuned into the principle of teamwork, joint responsibility and development. According to one particular system around 28,000 tons of Northsea plaice, 12,000 tons of sole, 3,700 tons of turbot and brill and a further 16,000 tons of other types of flat fish (common dab, flounder) and 4,800 tons of cod, 32,000 tons of mackerel and 2,000 tons of whiting have to be divided up.

The quotas have been divided into so-called co-management groups who control the group's total. This enables the Dutch fishermen to fish in a flexible way. If a fisherman is over his quota then he can hire the extra amount required from the group. If he is under his quota, then he can hire out what he has left. In this way the fishing industry fits in with nature's supply.

Defined control at the auction

The Dutch auction systems are also unique. Most of the auctions are situated along the coast to enable a quick response to the fresh catch. These days in other European countries there are often associations of auctions where they operate according to the latest modern standards. Urk, Den Helder and IJmuiden are the largest of the eleven auctions. Urk is famous for flat fish, Den Helder for Northsea shrimp. IJmuiden has a large white fish auction for the catch from the Northsea.

The Dutch auctions are well equipped. A decision was made recently to install more cooling systems within the auctions, which will maintain the catch at the optimum temperature and regulate the climate in all areas in a controlled manner.

Within the EU fish is divided into three categories. E indicates superb quality, A for good quality and B for acceptable fish quality. Holland would like to take this a step further by implementing a differentiated A-system. The A category would be divided into A1, A2, A3, etc. This way one can offer the buyers a more precise quality assessment and extend the choice available even further. However this point has not yet been reached.

As well as monitoring the quality and assessment of the catch, controllers have to carry out tasks for the RVV (Public service for the inspection of cattle and meat) to make sure that the fish is suitable for human consumption.

Processing according to the latest criteria

In Holland processing is on the verge of being magic. Urk is a good example of this. The flat fish processors are based close to the auction. They have their fresh goods delivered in an optimum condition straight from the auction and make them into an extensive range of products in no time. A long time ago this began with straightforward frozen plaice fillets and now it extends to the most refined convenience products, which when prepared in a microwave can produce ready made meals in a jiffy.

Dutch processors have invested large amounts to establish a chain of the most up to date and skilled processing companies for fish and shellfish. The European market is dominated by the Dutch processors from flat fish to processing shrimp from all over the world to, of course, the matje herring and other herring products. However this is not just the case with fish caught in Dutch coastal waters. To this end the port of Rotterdam plays a key role. It is the supply market, although it has no auction, for fish and shellfish from throughout the world, which are then distributed around Europe by Dutch processors and many established handling agents and exporters.

Nearly 450,000 tons of frozen and fresh fish and fish products travel through this giant access port annually. Rotterdam has therefore become one of the largest fishing ports, which can supply products from throughout the world. Particularly a large range of shrimp from all over the world, which are then processed in Holland.

However, there is also a large amount that arrives with processors and handling agents by air. Fresh fish from Africa, Asia and Ecuador such as the exotic multicoloured perch. Holland also introduced Europe to fish types such as the nile perch and tilapia.

Particularly for fish and shellfish, Holland has made a name for itself in Europe as a supplier of fresh products.

Fruits of the sea from throughout the world for Europe Dutch wholesalers and exporters send fish and shellfish all over the world, but Europe is the most important market. They make the most of good connections on the doorstep, because here is a market of millions of consumers who all want to enjoy the best fruits of the seven seas.
One belongs to a sector, the fishing industry sector, that one can be proud of and show to the outside world and work together on the development of the market.

This is the case for most Dutch products, from the matie herring to flat fish, the Northsea shrimp to the mussel from Zeeland, all have made Holland the market leader in Europe. Both processors and exporters continue to work on new products and product shapes. Or they join sales communities to provide Europe and the rest of the world with products from their country. Once you have eaten fish in Holland, you know how much pleasure there is to be had from fish.

Herby Neubacher