Woocheen, the ocean-health business platform owned by Alaska Native Corporation Sealaska, has acquired a majority stake in Normarine, a leading Norwegian white fish trading company. Normarine directors Bjørn Fladmark and Erik Sindre Pedersen will continue to run the Ålesund, Norway-based business.

The purchase builds on Woocheen’s work to foster ocean health by growing demand for delicious, sustainably sourced seafood. Seafood requires minimal fresh water and emits significantly lower levels of carbon than land-based agriculture.

Normarine has partnered for many years with UK-based New England Seafood (NESI), which was purchased by Sealaska in late 2020 to further strengthen its consumer-centric, premium seafood marketing expertise.

“Joining forces with Normarine is a logical next step in our build,” said NESI CEO Dan Aherne. “This investment shortens the path between sea and plate and brings our customers and consumers even closer to the Norwegian fishing community with whom Normarine has built more than 30 years of deep and enduring relationships. It expands our ability to put high-quality Atlantic cod and Haddock, alongside our Alaska Line caught Pacific Cod offer at the heart of our mission to inspire greater fish consumption on both sides of the Atlantic.”

The partnership perfectly aligns Normarine with NESI’s consumer and category leadership, strong social responsibility credentials, state-of-the art processing operations and strong retailer and customer relationships, Fladmark said.

“It will be very positive to be part of a company that’s bringing deep expertise and customer relationships to developing the market for Atlantic cod and haddock,” he said. “This will be positive for Norwegian fishermen.”

Norway is a world leader when it comes to marine research and science-based resource management. The high quality and sustainability of Norwegian seafood is central to Woocheen’s premise that relying on sustainably harvested, ocean-based foods is a powerful way to care for oceans and the planet. The fact that, as part of Sealaska, Woocheen’s profits directly support Alaska Native shareholders and communities also matters to Normarine, Pedersen said.

“It’s an ideal organization,” he said. “Its focus is on people, nature, water and sensible utilization of natural resources. We are thrilled to be part of it.”