Scalloper Alaska.
(UNITED STATES, 12/1/2014)
Located in the most valuable and historic seaport in the USA, New Bedford, Massachusetts,Oceans Fleet Fisheries began as a single fishing vessel owned and captained by Lars Vinjerud II in the 1980’s.
Harvesting and wholesaling the native catch of the North Atlantic over the next 3 decades as Fleet Fisheries, Lars grew the company into a modern fleet of 19 boats. From these scallopers, lobster boats and long- liners the catch was processed at shore side at a modern, state of the art facility.
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| Lars Vinjerud II. |
In 2011, Fleet Fisheries merged with Oceans Alive Scallops, a recognized leader in the processing of North Atlantic Sea Scallops.
Today, Oceans Fleet Fisheries has become one of the very few vertically integrated seafood companies in the nation. Providing traceability to the vessel, and managing the harvest for sustainability and availability year round, Oceans Fleet has grown both nationally and globally.
Oceans Fleet Fisheries' fleet usually has a crew of 5-7 fishermen including the captain and most work a “trip” of 7-9 days harvesting scallops. The long liners spend 7-10 days harvesting swordfish and tuna, and 2-4 days of harvesting for lobster and crab vessels. Its “sea” team consist of over 100 dedicated and experienced fishermen, most following in the footsteps of their fathers and grandfathers.
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| The recently launched lobster vessel Revolution. |
The fleet has modern handling and storage facilities; in fact it outfitted the scallop shucking rooms with climate control to manage the heat of the long summer days, thus increasing the quality of the scallops.
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| MSC certified scallops. |
Oceans Fleet Fisheries' fleet works in complete association with NOAA and the National Marine Fisheries, harvesting the catch in the required areas to ensure the future of this natural resource.
The company tracks its fleet from the moment they leave the dock to the moment they tie up on the return. The company's scallops are MSC (Marine Stewardship Council) certified.
Part of the fleet is outfitted with freezers. These vessels hand shuck, grade and pack fresh scallops and immediately freeze them on the boat. Truly one of the best tasting scallops, Oceans Fleet Fisheries is able to offer traceability to the vessel, location and date of harvest.
Oceans Fleet shore side facilities are located directly on the New Bedford harbour, the company unloads its fleet at its own receiving facility where the initial inspection process begins.
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| Ocean Prowler scalloper. |
The two state of the art facilities, include a 20,000 square foot Individual Quick Frozen (IQF) plant and the main 45,000 square foot fresh processing plant. Oceans Fleet Fisheries employs over 60 highly trained production associates between both facilities. The main facility also contains over 25,000 square feet of cooler space and a 40,000 lb. capacity lobster pool.