Bringing fish canning to a remote island

The micro-enterprise, TZT Flying Fish Azores, started out exporting shellfish, and later fresh fish, from the island of Terceira. However, ensuring that fresh fish arrived with the same top quality as shellfish was challenging. Its founder, Tiberio Barbeito, was inspired to test smoking his fish and later canning it to extend his products’ shelf life, thereby facilitating doing business with far off markets.

The company applied to the Fisheries Local Action Group, Grater, for support to purchase the equipment needed to launch its canning activities. A grant was secured to cover sterilisation equipment, a 100-litre autoclave and a semi-automatic labelling machine. A second grant helped hire a local company to develop a professional marketing plan to ensure these new products met with success. The company now produces canned products from fresh local fish, including horse mackerel fillets, parrotfish, Atlantic bonito with safflower, and barracuda. They can be found in France, Spain, Switzerland and the US.