Austral Fisheries prides itself on its efficient on-board fish processing facilities. These facilities ensure that the freshness and quality of the catch is maintained to the highest standards.
Further on-shore processing is also a feature available to provide a value added product for the retail and commercial market.
Patagonian Toothfish
Dissosticbus eleginoides, Mero, Merluza Negra, Bacalao de Profundidad, Chilean Sea Bass
Southern Champion: Block Frozen HGT Toothfish
Headed, Gutted and Tailed (HGT) toothfish under 4kg is block frozen in plate freezers. The grading that applies to this product is as below:
| Small | Up to 1kg per piece | |
| Medium | 1kg to 2kg per piece | |
| Large | 2kg to 4kg per piece |
For packing this fish, a tray is lined with poly sheet and the appropriate grade and species label is placed face down on the tray. Fish are soldier packed such that 20-22kg of fish is in the tray, while ensuring the tray is not overfilled, so that the fish are not squashed or distorted.
Once the fish is packed, the poly sheet is tied up to enclose the fish for best protection, then placed in plate freezers and filled with seawater in order to create a full glazed block.
After freezing down to -18°C, the blocks are removed from the trays, placed into printed poly bags and sewn shut. The bag is marked with the grade of the fish and the packing date before being stowed in the freezer hold.
Southern Champion: IQF HGT Toothfish
As this fish is too large to pack into trays, it is individually quick frozen (IQF). Once frozen, this fish is packed into printed poly bags, sewn shut and marked with packing date and grade. In order to have conformity and to assist with the deductions of tare weights, IQF fish are packed as follws:
| Large Large | 4kg to 6kg per piece | 4 fish per bag | |
| XL 6-8 | 6kg to 8kg per piece | 3 fish per bag | |
| XL 8-10 | 8kg to 10kg per piece | 2 fish per bag | |
| XXL | 10kg+ per piece | 1 fish per bag |
Austral Leader II & Isla Eden: IQF HGT Toothfish
All fish on the longliners are frozen in blast freezers down to -18°C. This premium fish is hung by the tail and produces a beautifully straight trunk with an open gut cavity, making this form of toothfish aesthetically pleasing for the customer. Once frozen, the tail is removed via bandsaw and each trunk is individually glazed. Austral Leader II HGT toothfish are graded as follows:
Small Up to 1kg per piece Up to 20kg per bag
Medium 1kg to 2kg per piece Up to 20kg per bag
Large 2kg to 4kg per piece 5 to 8 fish per bag
L Large 4kg to 6kg per piece 4 fish per bag
XL 6-8 6kg to 8kg per piece 3 fish per bag
XL8-10 8kg to 10kg per piece 2 fish per bag
XXL 10kg+ per piece 1 or 2 fish per bag
Austral Leader II & Isla Eden: Glacier 51 Toothfish fillets
Only the highly sort after XL8-10kg trunks are chosen for the premium Glacier 51 Toothfish fillets. Two matching fillets from the same fish are carefully dry processed, then vacuum sealed and packed together in a Glacier 51 Toothfish carton.
Glacier 51 Toothfish is the first wild caught, white fleshed branded fish product in the world that has the sustainable MSC and Monterey Bay Aquarium credentials to match its premium quality.
Toothfish Byproduct
Heads
Small Up to 1kg 22kg block
Large 1kg+ 22kg block
Collars
Small 250g to 500g 22kg block
Large 500g+ 22kg block
Cheeks
Ungraded 22kg block
Austral Fisheries can also prepare a centre cut, chemical free skin on toothfish fillet if required.
Mackerel Icefish
Champsocesphalus gunnari
Southern Champion: Whole IQF or Block Frozen Icefish
MSC certified Icefish is packed whole and depending on customer needs can be IQF in cartons (around 21kg) or block frozen with full glaze (around 23kg) in a poly bag.
| Small | Up to 200g per piece | |
| Large | 200g+ per piece | |
| Ungraded |
When packing icefish, a tray is lined with poly sheet and the appropriate grade and species label is placed face down in the tray. Icefish are finger packed such that 20-22kg of fish are in the tray, while ensuring that the tray is not overfilled, so the fish are not squashed or distorted.
Once the fish is packed, the poly sheet is tied up to enclose the fish for best protection, then placed in the pate freezer. If requiring a full glazed block, the tray is filled with seawater.
After freezing down to -18°C, the blocks are removed from the trays, placed into printed poly bags and sewn shut. The bag is marked with the grade of the fish and the packing date before being stowed in the freezer hold.
MSC certified Icefish can also be further processed on shore into 6 x 1.25kg fillet packs, or to meet your specification.
