Kingfish Maine harvests its first US-grown yellowtail

Kingfish Maine, the Maine, U.S.A.-based subsidiary of The Kingfish Company, has harvested the first batch of yellowtail it has produced in the U.S.

The company is currently operating a small farm in the Center of Cooperative Aquaculture Research in Franklin, Maine, as it continues to move forward on its plan to construct a recirculating aquaculture system (RAS) facility in Jonesport, Maine. The company is currently still navigating permitting and appeals, but it recently secured a victory when the Jonesport Board of Appeals upheld a planning board decision regarding permitting for the new facility. According to Kingfish, the approval was the last it needed before commencing pre-construction at the facility. The Kingfish Company also operates an RAS farming facility in Kats, The Netherlands.

“Our first Maine harvest is a milestone for the Kingfish Company,” Kingfish Company CEO Vincent Erenst said. “Our U.S. facility will mirror the operational excellence proven in the Netherlands. Kingfish Maine will be the largest producer of yellowtail kingfish in the U.S., providing local and sustainable yellowtail to expanding markets.”

The company began its farming process in Franklin in 2020, starting with fingerlings sourced from the Netherlands-based facility. The fish were then raised at the Center for Cooperative Aquaculture Research, a facility founded in 1999 by the University of Maine to research and develop aquaculture in the state. 

“We have worked three long years to arrive at this point – harvesting our first Dutch yellowtail from Maine and completing all our permits for our land based Jonesport facility,” Kingfish Maine Operations Manager Megan Sorby said. “This would not be possible without the collaborative work with our team at Kingfish Zeeland and our crew here at CCAR. We are excited to bring the first Dutch yellowtail from Maine to the market.”

The small batch of fish is being sent in limited release shipments to select restaurants nationwide. Bristol Seafood, based in Portland, Maine, is processing the fish at its facility, the company said.

“As a certified B Corp, Bristol collaborates with other companies which meet our standards of sustainability and environmental impact,” Bristol Seafood President and CEO Peter Handy said. “We are proud that the Kingfish team is entrusting us with processing and packaging its first Maine harvest of sustainably-raised Dutch yellowtail. We look forward to supporting Kingfish Maine as the company fully develops its facility in Jonesport.”  

Photo courtesy of Kingfish Maine