Norway’s oldest fishing village is located on the Helgeland coast furthest towards the ocean.
Here, fishing and trapping is the most important industry for the approximately 450 inhabitants of the island municipality.
But despite the fact that Træna is in the middle of the dish, it now looks dark.
The cornerstone company Træna Seafood AS has stopped receiving fish, and is closing down.
It was Kulingen.no who mentioned the case first.
This has major ripple effects for fishermen and reception in large parts of Helgeland.
Træna Seafood has had reception in five places along the coast: Bolga (Meløy), Nesøya (Rødøy), Bratland (Lurøy) and Husøy og Selver in Træna.
In the last year and a half, more than 260 boats have delivered raw materials to these receptions.
In September last year, the first report came about challenges for the company.
Then all reception of fish was stopped.
– Sad for the company, Træna and the whole of Helgeland
The company had then lost money throughout the pandemic. The main problem was a failure in the supply of raw materials.
Træna Seafood AS was established in 2020, when Modolv Sjøset Fisk AS and Arctic Fish Export AS merged – in the hope of having a more viable and robust company.
Træna mayor Jan Helge Andersen (Labor Party) thinks it’s all just sad. He received the message from the company on Friday afternoon.
– This is sad for the company, Træna and the whole of Helgeland. Especially those who fish.
Træna mayor, Jan Helge Andersen, believes the closure of the cornerstone company is dramatic.
Photo: Frank Nygård / NRK
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Despite the problems this autumn, the mayor had a hope that things would go well.
– I had hoped that the bank would keep them going this winter. Then they could prove that they got the profits back. But the whole of January has been miserable weather, and the fishermen have hardly gotten to sea. Thus, almost no fish have come ashore.
– Over time, we lose
The municipality has previously been in meetings with the company about financial support.
– The Local Government Act locks us in, so we can not go in with funds. I also do not think the municipality has enough funds to save them.
– What consequences does this have for the Træna community?
– We are talking about 15 jobs that will disappear. There are 15 employees with family. So it’s dramatic. In addition, there are fishermen who do not have a place to deliver. Over time, we will lose. This applies not only to Træna, but to the whole of Helgeland.
– This is final
Chairman of the board Runar Fjellgaard says that there are financial reasons why it is now the hook on the door.
– We had a situation this autumn, and we have not gotten to the point where we have the finances to operate in a way so we can make money. Then, in consultation with the bank, we said stop. We do not want to expose creditors and suppliers to further risk.
– There have been some complicated years with the corona and all that soup there. But over several years we have struggled to get a good operation.
– You started up again this autumn. Will it happen this time too?
– We see no way forward. From the board’s side, this is final.
Fjellgaard says that this will have major ripple effects for the entire region.
– This is dramatic for Helgeland. This is the only large fish reception left.
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