Premier Fishing is a predominantly commercial fishing, fish processing and marketing company. Its range of activities involves some 1000 permanent and seasonal staff, as well as factories, facilities and vessels operating in three provinces. The group has developed good relationships with its customers in Asia, Europe and the USA. Furthermore, it has built partnerships with small companies particularly in west coast rock lobster sector where it assists these companies with the catching and marketing of their fish. This is in line with the group’s fundamental principle of developing smaller black-owned companies as well as in investing into the communities within which it operates.

Marine Growers, a subsidiary of Premier Fishing, owns a abalone farm that produces cultivated abalone (locally known as perlemoen) for the export market. The farm is based in Gansbaai in the Western Cape. South African abalone (Haliotis Midae), is highly sought after internationally, particularly in the Far East, where it competes favourably against Japanese abalone for space on diners’ plates. As a result of this international demand, abalone is one of the most expensive seafood types on the
market.

The demand for this product has led to aggressive poaching of abalone in our local waters, to the extent that the natural wild abalone stock has been depleted and may shortly be listed by the Conventional on International Trades in Endangered Species (CITES). The abalone farm ensures the sustainability of the species and makes a contribution to international trade, while also representing a viable and highly profitable investment opportunity. Our objective is to optimise operations so that our pipeline size and growth rates are maximised. This will enable us to reach the targeted abalone size class in the shortest period of time.

Premfresh Seafoods is the Sales and Marketing division of the Group with an experienced marketing team with more than 30 combined years experience in the marketing of fish and fish related products. Assistance provided to small quota holders with the marketing of their fish. Low fixed overhead structure. The niche nature of the products enables it to be pre-sold prior to being caught or farmed.