Clearwater Seafood invests $5M in surf clam processing
by Canadian Manufacturing.com Staff
Shellfish provider is investing in Newfoundland and Nova Scotia processing plants to increase clam output and meet the demands of a growing export market
Clearwater’s surf clams are used in sushi
PHOTO: CNW Group/Clearwater Seafoods Incorporated
HALIFAX—Clearwater Seafoods Inc., a Halifax-based shellfish company, announced Feb 7. that they are investing $5 million in their capacity to process Arctic surf clam at their plants in Eastern Canada.
This initiative includes a $2 million investment to establish clam processing capacity at Clearwater’s Highland Fisheries facility in Glace Bay, Nova Scotia. This investment will turn a seasonal crab plant in Cape Breton into a year-round seafood processing operation.
An additional investment of $3.6 million will be made in Clearwater’s Grand Bank, Newfoundland facility to increase grading and processing, improve infrastructure and expand production. This facility will continue to be Clearwater’s primary clam processing operation, with the Highland facility supporting the requirement for additional grading and packaging capacity.
Arctic surf clams are popular in sushi in Japan, China and South Korea. These new investments will enable Clearwater to serve its traditional customer base while expanding distribution to new markets, especially in Europe, where sushi consumption is growing rapidly.
“With this investment, Clearwater will continue to expand the export market for wild-caught Canadian seafood and build on its global leadership in sustainable seafood excellence,” said Ian Smith, CEO of Clearwater Seafoods Inc.
Clearwater has recently made investments in new factory ships, totaling $135 million.
