Taking A Closer Look at Sea Harvest Fishing
Sea Harvest’s history as an innovative South African fishing company dates back to 1964, and we are incredibly proud of our decades-old reputation. We established our fishing operations in the harbour town of Saldanha, on the South Africa’s West Coast. It is here where we catch, process and market Cape Capensis to the world, also known as the Cape hake. We have been instrumental in taking the Cape hake to the global stage, introducing it to the diets of millions of people spread across the world.
We have more than 2 000 dedicated employees contributing to our capacity to catch and process over 40 000 tonnes of Cape Capensis per annum. It is a cost-effective and efficient operation with ongoing development of new technology and processes. At the helm of this massive global operation is our Chief Executive Officer, Felix Ratheb. Felix has been heading our global operations with great success for 13 years, since June 2003.
Leading South Africa’s Fishing Industry Forward
We have been packing for a selection of leading international brands since our inception, and also market our own products nationally and internationally under the Sea Harvest and Cape Haddie brands. One of our core competencies is our flexibility at caching and processing raw materials to our customers’ particular specifications.
Our main species of fish is the Cape hake, which is caught off the southwest coast of Southern Africa. It is here where the cold Benguela current sweeps up from the Antarctic, and where the unpolluted and nutrient-rich water yields the firm, white-fleshed fish that has become so sought after both locally and abroad. Another advantage of concentrating on this species is its year-round availability, which ensures consistent supply and continuity of market support.
Making a Lasting, Positive Impact on Fishing in South Africa
The South African hake fishing industry, regulated by the South African Government, operates through a quota-based system. Marine and Coastal Management manages the industry regulations, as well as undertaking scientific research to ensure the sustainable utilisation of marine and coastal resources. We are proud, as one of the pioneering companies in the South African fishing industry, to have been awarded 15-year fishing rights. We are also one of the largest holders in the industry.
Our fleet of single and twin fresh fish trawlers, in-shore trawlers, and a factory freezer trawler supports our all our Sea Harvest fishing operations. Fishing takes place between 15 and 120 nautical miles from the shore at depths ranging between 400 m and 800 m. On our fresh fish trawlers, fish are headed and gutted at sea and packed on ice for delivery to our shore-based processing facilities.
We are exceptionally proud of our freezer trawler, the Harvest Lindiwe. It catches and immediately processes the fish into a range of products that are deep-skinned, deboned, and individually quick frozen at sea. To learn more about our fishing operations and to find out how we contribute to the sustainable and responsible fishing in Southern African waters, speak to us today.