Australian kingfish producer Clean Seas is hiring the food and agri investment bank Kidder Williams for advice on potential growth options, after being hit hard in the first half of the year by the global coronavirus pandemic and ensuing lockdowns.

The investment bank has previous experience within the seafood and aquaculture space, specifically as David Williams, its managing director, was the former owner and chairman of salmon firm Tassal.

Clean Seas suffered lost sales in the region of AUD 13 million (€8 million/$9 million) in the second half of its 2020 financial year, due to coronavirus, which were only somewhat buoyed by a switch to non-foodservice channels in its domestic market.