124 | Seafood products show their class Waitangi Seafoods is the only locally owned and operated fish processor and exporter on the Chatham Islands. “The world knows New Zealand produces amazing seafood and we are well placed to meet global demand through our sustainable fisheries.” T T Russell Fredric Waitangi Seafoods SEAFOOD INDUSTRY The owner of Chatham Islands sea foods processor and exporter, Waitangi Seafoods, takes virtually no credit for the business winning two 2025 Outstanding Food Producer awards. In fact, Pita Thomas didn’t even give a thought to entering. “My new manager, Laura Marks, decided to put us in and sent a box of blue cod and some pottles of minced paua,” Pita says. The unexpected result was being named Seafood New Zealand Seafood Champion for Waitangi Seafoods blue cod fillets, as well as receiving gold medals for the blue cod and minced paua, which was supplied to the judges in 200-gram pottles. The judges said they could not fault the blue cod, describing it as an outstanding product: ‘It’s simplicity and freshness were great. Beautiful to look at, great flake and tremendous flavour.’ “I was a bit chuffed, really, because I was in the background [of the awards]; Laura actually front-footed it,” Pita says. “When we went to get the awards I got her to speak, because she’s young and enthusiastic and that’s what we need – to be training people and to move on.” Laura has been working for Waitangi Seafoods for about 12 months and is doing a fantastic job and making her mark on the culture of the business, going the extra mile in looking after both the factory staff and its fishermen suppliers, Pita says. Waitangi Seafoods is the only locally owned and operated fish processor and exporter on the island. The factory employs 23 staff and annually processes 270 tonnes of blue cod, 100 tonnes of kina, which is processed at night, most of which is currently exported to the New Zealand mainland, and a small amount of the minced paua. “I own a dive vessel and we do a bit of our own diving, [for kina] but also we buy off other vessels. We also dive for paua for our company as well as work with Moana New Zealand,” Pita explains. After being skinned, boned and washed, the blue cod goes into 3kg, 5kg or 10kg cartons ready for chilled export by air freight. There are also 3kg, 5kg and 10kg packs of frozen product sent out. As well, the factory processes small amounts of some other species, such as hapuka, blue nose, trumpeter, school shark, sea perch and terakihi. Like the overall fishing industry, Waitangi Seafoods has faced some tough times, and Pita credits the business’ long-term relationships with both its loyal suppliers and its customers throughout New Zealand to its longevity, including Bidfood, the country’s largest wholesale distributor, supplying the industry with food, beverages and kitchen consumables. One of the challenges of operating in the Chatham Islands is its isolation, and consequently being competitive due to the cost of freight, while the extra distance to overseas markets such as Australia, and the marginal prices currently achieved generally, makes exporting beyond New Zealand uneconomical at present. However, in a media release in December last year, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones said the future outlook for New Zealand seafood exports is strong. “The world knows New Zealand produces amazing seafood and we are well placed to meet global demand through our sustainable fisheries.” The Government expected seafood exports to hit a record $2.2 billion in the year to June 2025, and increase to $2.4b the following year. We are proud to support Waitangi Seafoods to supply their quality seafood to the world! Bringing the world closer to the Chathams Islands! www.packagingproducts.co.nz Proud to be associated with Waitangi Seafoods. Incorporating:
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