Kjøllefjord skipper-owner Daniel Lauritzen was taken by surprise to find out that he had been named as the Norwegian Fishermen’s Association’s Quality Fisherman of the Year.
He runs the 10.98 metre Cleopatra longliner/crabber Tinder, which was built in 2019.
‘This is incredible, and I am very proud to be named Quality Fisherman of the Year. For me, it is important to not only deliver top quality raw material, but also to know that I contribute to jobs ashore and at sea in Kjøllefjord. This is a fantastic recognition of all this,’ Daniel Lauritzen said.
This is the 18th year that the Norwegian Fishermen’s Association awards the prize. It always goes to a fisherman doing an outstanding job of delivering excellent quality, and who provide a role model and an inspiration to others in the fishing industry.
This year there were a record number of nominations for this year’s award, and fierce competition for the title. According to the judging panel, there is a strong focus on quality among the fishermen and that they are increasingly recognised for the work they do.
‘The winner of the year is a small-scale fisherman and his own boss. The fact that he chooses to fish with lines, even though this is both a more time-consuming and more expensive form of operation, tells us that he makes real efforts to deliver high quality raw material,’ said Synne Guldbrandsen, one of the judging panel and marketing manager at the Norwegian Fishermen’s Association.
Daniel Lauritzen struck out on his own in 2019 he ordered Tinder. The boat is built and rigged to longline for cod and haddock, as well as catfish, tusk, redfish and halibut, and to fish for king crab with traps. Catches are landed to Lerøy Norway Seafoods AS in Kjøllefjord, and the quality he delivers has enabled his catches to be sold under Lerøy’s own Arctic supreme quality brand. The king crab catches are packed live and shipped to Asian markets.
‘Daniel absolutely deserves the Quality Fisherman of the Year award. He’s a fantastic representative of the fishing industry with his positive approach,’ said Raimo Sørensen, manager at Lerøy’s Kjøllefjord branch.
‘Good quality does not come without working for it. At the same time, his landings help us to keep fifteen staff at work on the fillet line for much of the year. We are proud and happy to have Daniel as a partner.’
Image: Amalie Oda Harland, Norges Råfisklag
