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SPAIN
Tuesday, November 26, 2002, 04:00 (GMT + 9)
The new coldstore in Puerto de La Luz, required an investment of EUR 12 million. (Photo:FIS)
On 28 November, Spanish Pelagic opens the first phase of the coldstore that will operate as the fishery terminal for the Community pelagic fleet in Puerto de La Luz, Las Palmas. The Canary-owned partnership, formed by Sempsa, Lanzateide and Frigoluz, expects to handle 400,000 tonnes of frozen fish a year.
This will double the current capacity of the port, which is considered to have the highest traffic of frozen products in Spain. Spanish Pelagic also wants to provide services for fleets from the Netherlands, Ireland and France, which fish on African coasts and have not had the chance to adequately store their catches for years. Now, these fleets will finally be able to store fish at the Canary Islands port at a reduced cost.
The new coldstore required an investment of EUR 12 million and has a 12,000 square metre capacity. It also has a frozen fish storage capacity of 20,000 tonnes distributed among eight chambers, which can freeze at less than 25 degrees each and have room for 2,000 pallets.
The new facilities would introduce different methods of working to the port and would probably push the sector to modernise "and that is good for all of us," the company's managing director Antonio Rodríguez told FIS.com.
The coldstore will generate 40 to 50 direct jobs and between 200 and 300 indirect labour opportunities. (See World News 29 August.)
Canary Islands Mayor José Manuel Soria will lead the inauguration ceremony, which will take place next Thursday. Canary Islands Government fishery vice-councillor, Manuel Fajardo Feo, Luis Hernández, president of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria Port Authority, and Germán Suárez, president of Spanish Pelagic are also expected to attend.
By Patricia Diácono
FIS Latino
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