Morrisons buys trawler to secures future fish and seafood supplies

MORRISONS has moved to secure future fish and seafood supplies — by buying its own trawler.

Amid concerns over ongoing wrangling with the EU, the supermarket chain acquired Falfish, a family-owned seafood wholesaler.

Supermarket chain Morrisons has scaled up its fish and seafood operations by buying a fishing boat to secure its future suppliesCredit: Mikael Buck / Morrisons. PR handout free for editorial use.

And the Cornish firm’s 30ft trawler, the Jacqui A, is part of the deal.

Morrisons becomes the first supermarket to own its own fishing boat — and more than 80 per cent of fish and shellfish will now come from its own seafood operations.

The chain is known for its farm-to-plate policy, owning more livestock, processing plants and food factories than rivals.

Recent large UK tariffs on fish caught around Greenland have seen prices soar.

Andrew Thornber, of Morrisons, said: “The move will help secure the supply of fish and shellfish into Morrisons stores and online.

“Bringing Falfish into Morrisons further strengthens our position as Britain’s biggest food-maker.”

The move comes as concerns are rising due to the ongoing wrangling with the EUCredit: Getty Images – Getty

Andrew Thornber, of Morrisons, said the deal 'further strengthens our position as Britain’s biggest food-maker' — Andrew Thornber, of Morrisons, said the deal ‘further strengthens our position as Britain’s biggest food-maker’Credit: EPA

Falfish also sources from 70 local fishing vessels and three leading fish markets in the South West — in Brixham, Plymouth and Newlyn.

MD Mark Greet said: “The acquisition is great news for Falfish’s Cornish operations and the wider community, bringing investment and access to many new opportunities.”

The firm processes a range of 56 wild and farmed frozen and fresh seafood from the South West coastline.

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