At sea

Most Dutch cutters are at sea from Sunday night on Monday morning until Thursday night on Friday morning. Shrimp cutters are often at sea for a day or a night and unload their catch at the fish auction daily.
Fish quality starts with the catch and handling on board. That is why fishermen handle their fish well. When the nets are hauled out of the water, the fish are sorted, gutted and rinsed. After rinsing, the fish are stored below deck in crates filled with ice to keep the temperature down.

At the fish auction
Friday morning is when the fish auctions see the most activity. Fish are brought to the auction by fishermen and sorted by sorters, by species and by size. Each fish species is classified into different sizes by the European Union. Each fish species also has its own prescribed minimum size. If the fish is below the required size, it cannot be landed and sold at auction. Most fish are sorted manually. Only plaice is sorted mechanically because of the large quantities of landings.

The fish are sorted into crates and deposited in the inspection room per vessel. Each crate is weighed and has a maximum weight of about 40 kilos of fish. On top of each crate of fish is a receipt, also known as a fish note, which states the type of fish, length measurement, weight, which ship the fish came from and the fishing method.

The fish auctions affiliated with the PEFA auction system meet the requirements with regard to temperature control, hygiene and efficient fish handling. The rooms in the fish auctions are insulated so that low temperatures can guarantee the quality of the fish.

Our purchasers
The purchasers from and/or for Schmidt Zeevis look at the fish in the inspection room and select the freshest and most beautiful fish. The purchasers have years of experience and therefore know exactly which fish to buy from which ship. With sustainable fishing in mind, Schmidt likes to buy fish from flyshoot vessels, which deliver beautiful, fresh and undamaged fish to the fish auctions.
Our purchasers buy fish at the main Dutch and European fish auctions in order to get the best fish. We buy fish daily via the internet or commission agents, provided there is supply, at the following fish auctions:

• Stellendam
• Scheveningen
• Colijnsplaat
• Den Helder
• IJmuiden

Schmidt Zeevis also receives daily fish from the fish auctions in:

• Urk
• Harlingen
• Vlissingen

We also get fresh fish several times a week from:

• Norway
• Denmark
• Iceland
• Scotland
• Belgium
• France
• Spain
• Italy

The auction
The auctioning of fish at the fish auctions in the Netherlands almost always starts around seven o'clock in the morning. The fish auction has an auction hall, where the auction takes place and where an auction clock is set up. Traders can take a seat in there and see on the auction clock which fish from which ship is being auctioned. The auction clock also shows information about the voyage time, fishing method, quality indication and size.

The auction clock is operated by the auctioneer. Once he runs the clock, the traders in the mining hall can press the button when their desired price is reached. The clock starts running from a certain starting price, which varies by species of fish and can also vary from day to day.
With today's technology, it is also possible for traders to buy fish remotely from behind a computer.

The digital PEFA auction system to which Schmidt Zeevis belongs offers this possibility. Schmidt Zeevis' purchasers can therefore buy at foreign fish auctions that are connected to the auction system.