September 30, 2022
Sealord heads into new season with strong demand
With the new fishing season starting tomorrow, Sealord chief executive Doug Paulin says the 50 percent Maori-owned fishing company is looking forward to putting the challenges of the Covid pandemic behind it.
Those have included market shut downs, higher fuel and freight costs, and shortages of workers both onshore and on its fleet.
He says things are looking far more positive.
“Demand is incredibly strong in multiple markets so that’s North America, Europe and Asia. All of them we are seeing strong demand. The biggest issue is being able to get containers and being able to get space on seafreight vessels leaving New Zealand,” Mr Paulin says.
Sealord contributes millions of dollars to Maori each year through dividends and quota lease fees, and Doug Paulin says the company is constantly balancing its commercial performance with Maori sustainability aspirations.