Fish on every table: Revolutionising fish consumption, the Croatian way

Meduza and all its employees © Marko Jurković — Meduza and all its employees
© Marko Jurković

Founded in 1989 in the central Croatian city of Karlovac, Meduza started as a small family-run company with a big dream: to revolutionise the trade in fish and fishery products in Croatia and beyond. Thanks to EU funding, Meduza has achieved its dream. The company now has a modern processing and packaging factory that provides customers with a vast range of high-quality products.

Providing quality fish to Croatia and beyond

Since its inception, Meduza has traded and networked successfully across the European Union and the wider world. As the company flourished, it became renowned for supplying the largest and most diverse selection of fresh and frozen fish and fishery products. In 2012, the company ventured into fish processing, ensuring an even higher level of quality control and product excellence.

As Meduza’s vision evolved, the ultimate goal became clear: to make fish an integral part of people’s weekly menus and increase regular fish consumption. To get there, the company focused on providing the customers with the best-quality products from its extensive portfolio, making sure there is always something to everyone’s taste.

EU funding helps to make dreams a reality

As sales grew, so did the production requirements. In recent years, Meduza has received EU support that was instrumental to its development.

The EU funding allowed Meduza to establish a modern processing and packaging factory. The new facility solved space constraints, improved packaging capabilities, and enhanced the overall quality of the product. At the same time, the company was able to maintain its commitment to environmental sustainability thanks to state-of-the-art technology.

With the launch of the new factory, Meduza was able to enter the packaged goods market, expanding its reach and increasing its share in the industry. This advance made it easier for the company to introduce fish to a wider audience, offering diverse freshwater and sea products in major supermarkets. Thanks to the protective atmosphere packaging created in the new facilities, customers now have the convenience of accessing cleaned, descaled, and packaged quality fish with an extended shelf life.

Boosting the local economy

The new factory has also created new jobs, attracting new people to the Karlovac region.

The EU funding made the entire project possible. As a result, we are now the largest factory in the new industrial zone of Karlovac. There are a lot of new jobs, both for highly educated workers and production workers

says Marko Jurković, who took over the company from his father Igor.

The EU-funded project has also indirectly benefitted local producers of fresh, unprocessed fish, resulting in a significant surge in locally sourced fish production in Croatia. Meduza played a pivotal role in supporting the domestic farmed fresh trout industry, for example, becoming the largest supplier of packed trout for Croatian retailers. With the increased capacity, Meduza’s reach has expanded into new EU markets. This has furthered its goal of promoting fish consumption not only locally, but also across the EU and potentially globally.

Meduza’s journey from a small family business to a pioneering force in the fish industry showcases the company’s dedication to promoting fish consumption and redefining the notion of Croatian quality. As Meduza continues to innovate and expand, the impact can be seen not only in Croatia, but also on the international stage, contributing to a healthier and more sustainable approach to food consumption.