Little fish, big business in Yarmouth

Tag : Canned Fish

Little fish, big business in Yarmouth
BY CARLA ALLEN, TRANSCONTINENTAL MEDIA
The Nova Scotia Business Journal


YARMOUTH – Little fish are big business for a company in Yarmouth that ships the bulk of its product to the United States and a surprising 25 per cent to Australia . IMO Limited president and general manager , Phil LeBlanc , says that per capita, Australia consumes way more fish, includingcanned fish, than Canada.
“We’re packing some of the same products, the samebrands, and we’re selling almost 10 times the volume inAustralia than we sell in Canada,” he said. IMO's mainproduct is kipper snacks made from Bay of Fundy herring - which include lines packed in various sauces likemustard, tomato sauce, paprika, pepper, beer and horseradish. Alltold, there are close to 100 varieties.
LeBlanc explains that IMO supplies the Kersen line in Nova Scotia and is a private label packer for many customers outside theprovince, including Cloverleaf , John West and Bella Baie . Just five percent of IMO products are exported throughout Canada,with Newfoundland a strong buyer. The biggest thing limiting IMO’s market,says LeBlanc, is that people haven’t tried the product.
“Anytime that we have done trade shows or consumer showspeople that taste it say they would eat it,” he said.“The more fish you eat, the greater the chance is that youwill eat canned fish. The products we produce aren’tmainstream tuna and salmon, which is what people that don’teat fish often eat. They might not know how to prepare it,”he said.
Although Japan might appear to be a potential market, LeBlanc says consumersthere prefer specialty, high-end products like herring roe andfresh sushi. One thing the herring does have going for it is theOmega 3 content.
“Herring is packed with Omega 3. People are becoming moreknowledgeable about that,” said LeBlanc. “One can ofthe kippered snacks has over two grams of Omega 3 in it and acapsule is generally four or five hundred milligrams. You’dget your whole week’s Omega 3 requirement in one can,”he said.
LeBlanc suggests using kipper snacks on bagels with cream cheese orblended with soft cheeses to make a dip. The products are also goodin stir frys or salads. “You can also make your side dishlike noodles or potatoes, then heat a can very quickly in hot waterto have a meal in minutes,” he said. IMO products areavailable locally at Sobeys and Atlantic Superstore , and in cases from the plant on Water Street . – The Vanguard