AQUALIFE: Breakthrough for live shellfish container transport

Maersk Line has given AQUALIFE A/S an important breakthrough with the new Halifax Rotterdam container corridor. The shipping company is supplying the eastern Canadian port of Halifax with a direct connection to Europe.

The connection will provide AQUALIFE with the most efficient transportation of live Canadian lobsters to Europe. The export of the lobsters between North America and Europe is worth approx 1,3 billion DKK (USD 215,380,000) yearly, whereas the freight proceeds account for about 180 M DKK (USD 29,830,000) – today the entire Canadian lobster export volume is transported by air freight.

The direct container corridor is a new development in the market. From 2011 every fresh food in the French retail sector will have an added label which states the product’s carbon-foot-print. The lobsters freighted in the AQUALIFE-system will clearly appear as the eco-friendly alternative to air freighted lobsters. In France, the annual consumption is more than 3.000 ton of North American lobsters for a value of 330 M DKK (USD 54,687,000). It is expected that the new French law about labelling will create a precedent in the rest of Europe.

The new Maersk-connection to Halifax gives AQUALIFE a significant competitive advantage compared to air freight, as there is no comparable solution like AQUALIFE’s in the marketplace, a solution based upon efficient and gentle sea transport. AQUALIFE believes it is possible to create a business, based upon the lobster corridor between Canada and Europe, which over time can reach a three-figure million dollar range.

Maersk Line’s decision of calling into port in Halifax has obviously excited the city, which boasts the biggest container harbour on this side of the Atlantic Ocean. The decision involves generally better transport possibilities to and from the eastern part of Canada, and at the same time will have a big impact at the fishing industry now and into the future.

The overall export of live lobsters from North America to Europe is currently approx 15.000 ton per year. Of which 3.400 ton is exported directly from the Canadian side of the Atlantic Ocean, while the rest is either exported via USA or delivered by fishermen from the US State of Maine.

The value of the overall, global lobster export from Canada is approx 4,4 billion DKK (USD 729,179,000) and accounts for approx 55.000 ton – today the lobster is the most important export article from the eastern Canada. As a result of the limited Canadian air freight capacity, the largest part of the current Canadian production is handled via intermediary to the USA.