Nutrifish ordered by French court to shut down.
Ouest France reports that Normandy, Cherbourg-based Nutrifish, which recycles leftover fish including salmon, has been forcibly shut down.
The publication reported that it had been placed in receivership in March.
Initially set up in 2010, since 2016, the company has been working to develop raw materials from waste from fish processing filleting process to make items such as salmon powder and oil.
Normally waste is destined for animal food, but Nutrifish wanted to make it for human consumption such as oil, or fish powder to be used for in food supplements or for flavouring.
Franck Gouix, who had previously worked at France’s only salmon farm, Saumon de France (also in Cherbourg), had a bold vision to deal the significant amount of waste from fish processing.
“We are the only ones in Europe to have these four processes for processing fish byproducts in a single plant,” said Gouix to Ouest France in 2017. “We process 100% of fish co-products for a finished product, entirely for human use”.
Though accelerated by COVID-19, in a twist, the company became victim to the fish processing industry’s success in dealing with waste. Nutrifish just couldn’t get the fish.
“The raw materials essential to ensure the growth and sustainability of the business, have become scarce and have become more expensive,” explained Gouix recently.
It was all too in the end, and a French court ordered the company to liquidate, and all 33 members were let go.
The publication added that potentially five buyers may be interested in the site.
