REGAL SPRINGS EUROPE
CARING AND SUSTAINABLE AQUACULTURE Powered by Inside Food & Drink
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REGAL SPRINGS EUROPE
I PROFILE
For over three decades, Regal Springs Europe GmbH has been cultivating premium tilapia through highly responsible aquaculture. Managing Director Petra Weigl and Product Manager Anne-Marie Koch discussed the many benefits of tilapia. Report by Phil Nicholls. 124 Inside food & drink
Tilapia like no other. Regal Springs farms in deep freshwater lakes with the highest social and environmental standards.
vertically integrated supplier of high-quality tilapia in the world. The founding vision was for a fish farm that would contribute to a certain level of prosperity for the residents of regional communities affected
O
|by poverty and unemployment.
grated whitefish and tilapia hatchery
company made a special effort to celebrate
business. The company currently has
its achievements as a pioneer in sustain-
aquaculture production sites in Honduras,
able aquaculture farming with cakes – sent
Mexico and Indonesia.
to sites around the globe to mark the event.
perating at the core of Regal Springs is its sustainability programme, the world's only fully inte-
For the past 35 years, Regal Springs has been delivering on this commitment. The
“We are farming in pristine natural lakes set in beautiful locations,” Managing
Premium fish
Director Petra Weigl explained. “As a con-
The tilapia at Regal Springs are bred
sequence, there's not much infrastructure
without the use of chemicals and growth
in these places. Regal Springs is really
hormones. The fish are frozen immediately
supporting the communities around
after processing to ensure the best
these wonderful lakes.”
possible quality. These premium tilapias
Founded in 1988 by a UN development worker, Regal Springs is now the largest
have firm, white flesh and are grown in natural lakes. To ensure the health and development of the fish, Regal Springs source
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REGAL SPRINGS EUROPE
I PROFILE
high-quality, mostly vegetarian food. Since
supplying premium loins or versatile
the taste of a tilapia is largely determined
fillets/portions.
by what it eats, the fish from Regal Springs have a delicate, very mild and
Yet, for all the benefits of this amazing fish, Ms Wiegl highlighted the challenge of
somewhat sweet taste. This quality was also confirmed by the receipt of two stars from the International Taste Awards. “The distinctive trait of the tilapia is the low water content in its flesh, which makes it so easy to prepare,” Ms Wiegl explained. “The flavour is neutral, so it really adapts to any seasoning. We can prepare it the Asian way - spicy, sweet
Favourite ways to prepare tilapia. Ms Weigl: Take a fillet, add lemon and a pinch of salt. Roll the fillet in wheat flour, then pan fry it and serve with mashed potatoes. Ms Koch: Marinate cubes in soy sauce and sesame oil, then put onto a lemongrass skewer and grill.
and sour – or use it in a more traditional dish by boiling it. Even people who do not like fish can eat tilapia, because it's
educating customers to the potential of
more or less like a chicken of the sea.”
tilapia: “Here in Northern Europe, we still
Regal Springs supplies this flexible fish
pretend to be fishing nations. Looking at
in a variety of ways: tilapia are available
the German market, for example, national
as whole fish, descaled and gutted
consumption is 1.1 million metric tonnes
before packaging; practically boneless
catchweight of fish, while the local
fillets offer consumers many cooking
production is only 160,000 tonnes. Fish
options, with Regal Springs also
dependence day in Germany is already
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early March, meaning this is when our local supply of fish runs out for the year. “As Europeans, we really should increase our fish consumption from sustainable healthy catches or aquaculture. At Regal Springs, we are trying to help the consumer be really curious about enjoying the versatile tastes seafood can bring.”
Sustainable fishing At the heart of the Regal Springs operation is the sustainability programme. One strand of this programme is about responsible aquaculture practices, where Regal Springs carefully monitors water quality and protects the environments where it operates, as well as caring for the tilapia. “In order to produce a good fish, one with true premium value, then pristine water is required,” said Ms Weigl. “It is crucial to use a very good feed, and to treat the animals properly, without overloading the cages.”
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REGAL SPRINGS EUROPE
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The sustainable operation at Regal
sites. Plus, we invest a lot into the commu-
Springs is also dedicated to a zero-waste
nities where we work, supporting schools
policy. “We are currently using almost 95
and hospitals.”
per cent of our fish,” Ms Weigl continued. “This means that any bone, skin and belly
Swimming into the future
from the fish is finding a second home. We
With such a solid foundation, Regal Springs
are able to sell these as byproducts, or
is eager to expand further into Europe.
we use them in-house for fish oil and fish
Sustainable aquaculture is a realistic route
meal production: nothing goes to waste.”
to supplementing the local production
The sustainability programme extends to the local communities around Regal Springs’ aquaculture operations. The
of fish, and tilapia from Regal Springs can answer this need. At times, it seems that the main challenge
company takes its social responsibilities
to achieving this goal is consumer aware-
very seriously, supporting the families
ness. “The product itself is convincing,”
and local communities of its workers
said Ms Weigl. “From what we have seen,
around the world. In Honduras, for
100 per cent of people who try our fish simply
example, Regal Springs is one of the
love the taste. Even some professional chefs
three largest employers in the country.
could not believe it was tilapia; the fish
“Regal Springs supplies income directly to more than 4,300 employees globally,” Ms Weigl explained, “and indirectly we
was so different from whatever they had expected.” Regal Springs is particularly keen to
help about 27,000 people around the
expand into the UK, according to Ms Weigl:
world, because we also organise the
“This seems to be an open-minded market,
transportation of our workers from their
perhaps because the UK is a melting pot
villages to the factory.
of nationalities, with such a wonderful
“There's a lot of infrastructure we create
restaurant scene. The market seems more
around our factories and the aquaculture
open to new foods, which helps us a lot.
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“UK retail is really demanding. Starting talks with any UK retailer results in very detailed and strict analysis about farming methods and the way we treat the fish. We have now introduced electrical stunning for the UK retail market, with the support of a UK company.” The combination of delivering sustainable aquaculture and supporting communities around the world make Regal Springs a great place to work, according to Product Manager Anne-Marie Koch: “When I started, the most exciting thing about the job was the wide range of tasks. Today, I take inspiration from helping our production communities, who are so invested in this project.” “First of all, I'm happy about the diversity at the company,” Ms Weigl said, in conclusion. “Plus, there is simply so much potential for finding productive uses for our products, from cosmetics to medical applications. I need to use all my skills here, and this is really exciting for me.”
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