Southwick highlights fishing industry challenges
LOCAL fishing company — Fiji Fish Marketing Group Ltd — has grown over the past 30 years with its fair share of challenges in the industry, says group business manager Matthew Southwick.
Mr Southwick said the company employed more than 300 people and it was a challenge for them to keep operating despite the difficult industry which they were part of.
The company celebrated Fiji Day at their premises in Lami yesterday where Mr Southwick recalled how his father Graham Southwick started the business with some of the staff members more than 30 years ago.
According to Mr Southwick the fishing industry in Fiji was a very challenging sector for the whole industry, not just Fiji Fish.
He said there were new rules and regulations and the tuna catch was also on the decline.
Mr Southwick said the family-owned company was very much involved in sustainable fisheries and had shifted to mahimahi fishing after the decline in tuna catch.
“We have more than 300 staff members and we have to keep operating to keep employing them.
“We have seven fishing vessels that do tuna long lining but like I said we have shifted our focus to mahi fisheries.
“We export most of our products and our major markets are Los Angeles and Honolulu in Hawaii and then we also have our local domestic sale shops — in Sigatoka and one here in Lami.”
Mr Southwick said the company would continue to make investments in the business and continue operating.