The ability to export and market products in a worldwide marketplace is a growing necessity for many New Zealand companies in today's international economic climate.
Independent Fisheries Limited has met this challenge, built on the strong base established in the domestic market and has, for many years, successfully exported over 80% of all processed and value-added product to many parts of the world. The company's original decision to export was influenced by the setting up of joint charter operations in 1986.
Since that time, many international marketplaces have been sourced and developed. Processed and value-added product is currently exported to Australia, which is the company's principal outlet, and also include markets in the USA, South America, Canada, United Kingdom, Europe, Iran, Indonesia, Japan and China. Asian countries receive regular consignments of value-added lines which have been developed for their markets and reflect specific dietary and cultural requirements.
Product is marketed under Independent branding or as private label branded lines. They include hoki, squid, barracouta, red cod, southern blue whiting, jack mackerel, warehou, eels and mussels. Value-added product includes crumbed and battered fillets, fish fingers, fish burgers, tempura fillets and crumbed squid rings.
Exported product is despatched mainly from the Port of Lyttelton, some 8 kilometres from the Woolston processing site and is carried by international container vessels, who provide a fast, secure and functional service to the company's world-wide markets.
