Hafnarfjörður processing company Fiskvinnslan Kambur is closing down production as of the end of October this year, with its owners blaming reductions in cod quotas making the business no longer viable.
Kambur was acquired by fishing and processing giant Brim in October 2019 and has since been run as a largely independent operation.
According to the owners, there have been changes on the international market since the acquisition took place and quota for cod in Icelandic waters have since then been reduced by 23.50% and with fish prices high and a difficult competitive position relative to processors in other countries, the operating environment has altered substantially. In addition, running costs both in Iceland and overseas have affected the bottom line.
Production at Kambur is to be absorbed by Brim’s groundfish processing at its Norðurgarður site in Reykjavík.
31 of Kambur’s staff have been given notice, although the company states that as many as possible will be offered work at the Norðurgarður factory, and assistance and guidance will be made available for those seeking alternative employment.
