Urk Seafood, the Urk Fish Wholesalers Association’s label for education and branding, was scrutinized by some 15 companies in the Urk seafood industry. The VVU wants to move forward with the label and had invited several people to spar about the possibilities of rolling out Urk Seafood in the coming years.
In 2021, the label launched the development of an Urk Seafood Academy, aimed specifically at a training program for the fish processing industry. With a subsidy of over 120,000 euros from MKB !Dee, an initiative from the Ministries of Economic Affairs and Climate and Social Affairs and Employment to stimulate the development of employees, the Academy, supported by ROC Firda, got off to a flying start in Urk in 2022. Program manager Rein Brands about it: "By now, many dozens of employees have successfully completed various courses. We used the meeting to get more information from the companies about what is still needed in terms of training. Firda was also present so that we can immediately do something with it in the education offered¨.
Funding
The international branding of Urk Seafood as a brand was also examined during a brainstorming session with SPIKKER and Hendrik van Veen of Diepvries Urk as moderator. Urk Seafood has recently become increasingly outspoken, including promotional material at the Seafood Expo in Barcelona and through advertising on trucks.
Hendrik van Veen, directeur van Diepvries Urk en bestuurslid van de VVU, leidde de brainstormsessie over de branding van Urk Seafood.
"We have received a lot of input from the companies and we want to translate this into concrete actions. Of course, funding for these programs is also very important; the nearly twenty members of Urk Seafood all contribute annually, but that’s not enough. Fortunately, the Municipality of Urk also sees the importance of Urk Seafood and is working with us to support the cluster financially. There are also subsidies at the provincial level where we think our label fits in well, aimed at internationalization ambitions.”
Russian Far East Reports Strong Start to 2025 Salmon Fishing Season Russia Fed.
Kamchatka leads the way, while Primorye and Khabarovsk Krai show exceptional results as total Pacific salmon catches surge by over 45% compared to 2023, signaling a robust season driven by favorab...
Historic Abundance of Illex: Record 2025 Norpatagonian Squid Season Argentina
Argentina's squid fishery has experienced its best season in years, with an unprecedented 84,000 tonnes caught from the Norpatagonian stock, a phenomenon not seen in nearly three decades, attributed t...