Northern Pelagic Group (NORPEL), President Brady Schofield, tells IntraFish that his company has expanded its product lines and needs to boost its workforce but is having trouble finding people willing to work in a seafood factory.

What were the three most significant developments for your business in the seafood industry in 2016?

1) Late 2014, NOAA issued an increase in the 2015, 2016 and 2017 North Atlantic herring quota. Since Northern Pelagic Group (NORPEL) is one of the largest pelagic processors on the east coast of the United States, this has been positive for us as it showed the herring stocks are healthy and they are being well managed. Sudden changes in quotas can have a significant impact on businesses and stability is what we all strive for.

2) The strength of the North American lobster market has created an increased need for fresh Atlantic herring used in the US lobster fishery. This increased demand has caused the price of fresh herring caught in the summer and fall to skyrocket and has left plant owners struggling to compete for raw material. The global food and feed markets simply cannot compete, as those markets have options of other sources at lower prices.

3) Despite the lack of fresh herring available to process in the summer months, we have expanded our product lines this past year and have had the need for an increased work force. As the US economy strengthens and unemployment decreases we find ourselves challenged to find good people willing to work in our factory.

Looking ahead, what will be the three most important developments in 2017?

1) NOAA is now working on setting quotas for 2018-2020 on North Atlantic Herring. This is a long and arduous process, and there are a lot of good people working on getting the quotas set in the most accurate, sustainable and responsible manner for all. We are hoping that science and the results of all the hard work put into this process end up in a positive outcome.

2) It will be interesting to see how the lobster market trends in 2017, however, I anticipate that we will have the same challenges as we did in 2016 as it relates to summer and fall herring.

3) Herring is our bread and butter for Norpel. Sustainability and a steady stream of supply will be beneficial for our plant and product line. We need to focus and achieve this for our fishery.

What changes and developments do you expect your business to undergo next year?

1) We are always looking for new product lines and ways to become innovative. We will continue to explore new opportunities and see where we can maximize the return on the pelagic and other species we process. One initiative is to find new markets for fish that otherwise goes into bait markets. There are many prospects and channels that we see as viable and we look forward to making the most of the fish that comes from the North Atlantic Ocean.

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Outlook 2017: Northern Pelagic Group President Brady Schofield