The facility is the first of its kind in Newfoundland and will position the company to provide live Newfoundland lobster to global markets on a year-round basis, it said.

In late 2018, Quin-Sea announced its intention to promote Newfoundland lobster and establish it as a globally recognized brand. As part of its strategy, Quin-Sea has now initiated several successful international air shipments to target markets, China being top of the list, and in the coming weeks, its sales into Europe will commence.

“Through significant investment by the company, new opportunities are being created to
add value to the Newfoundland lobster, and new employment is being created in regions where it is needed,” said Simon Jarding, managing director of Quin-Sea.

The facility is expected to boost local employment, with 20 positions already created and more expected through associated spin-off activities.

The opening on Sept. 18 was an opportunity to showcase the facility and introduce
the latest technologies for live lobster holding to those in attendance. The facility includes the most advanced technologies designed to maximize the quality of live lobster, which will provide Quin-Sea with an advantage over competitors, it claimed.

“Our emphasis on the technological solution we chose has been to ensure we become a preferred quality supplier when bringing the larger and hard-shelled Newfoundland lobster to the market place,” said Jarding.

Newfoundland and Labrador minister of fisheries and land resources, Gerry Byrne, hopes Quin-Sea’s approach would put the province on the seafood market map.

“We are normally market takers and not market makers, and often price takers, not price makers. What this enables us to do is to be able to market the product at times when it is most lucrative to do so outside the traditional lobster season, and create a truly Newfoundland brand of lobster,” he said.

Jarding added that the firm was already preparing for “phase two” in 2020. “We plan to engage with a selected group of customers that are particularly interested in the lively larger and hard-shelled Lobster from Newfoundland.”