Advice for Fish Filleting Business Venture - ABV - Solomon Islands

Assignment Code:  10007219
Assignment Title:   Advice for Fish Filleting Business Venture
Client:  Didao Development Corporation Ltd
Location:  Honiara, Solomon Islands
Recruitment Status:  Open
Duration:  2 months
Proposed Start:  February 2013


Client Description:
Didao is a 100% locally owned company that has been involved with fishing and seafood related activities for over 20 years and has a successful track record of continuous artisanal fishing operation for the local market since 1989. In 1996 it became a proper registered company under the name Didao Development Corporation Ltd.

In 2004 the company was exporting premium reef fish into Australia but it could not satisfy the demand because of its limited storage capacity, inadequate fish handling facilities and unreliable transport infrastructure.

When fishing operations declined, Didao ventured into fuel retailing and created Didds Service Station with Didds Lube Oil Sales, Didds Gas Resale and Didds Crushed Ice for fishermen as backup departments to help sustain the company.

Assignment Summary:
Now that Didao has been awarded an Enterprise Challenge Fund (ECF) grant for Fish Processing, one of its main objectives is to export premium reef fish to overseas markets. However a lot of by-catch fish will not be exported due to size restrictions, species and quality control measures, and there is an opportunity to prepare this fish, using a proper filleting procedure, and sell it locally. There is not a single place in town doing proper filleting procedures to supply fish fillets to the hotels and resturants in Honiara and to sell overseas to earn much needed revenue.

Didao has identified in fish filleting a potential business oportunity and it would like to receive at this early stage of the venture, business advice from an expert in fish filleting systems.
Assignment Outcomes:

• Counterparts are fish filleting literate
• Feasibility of a fish filleting system is assessed and progression made
• Food security system is established

Experience:
The client has requested a volunteer with the following skills and experience:

• Diploma/Degree in Food Security
• Entrepreneur
• Experience in fish handling and processing over a number of years or with a reputable fish handling & processing firm

ABV expects all volunteers to possess the following attributes:

• ability to cope with a standard of living different to that of Australia
• patience, tolerance and flexibility
• cultural sensitivity and the ability to live and work in a new cultural setting;
• willingness to work with limited resources within a challenging and tropical environment

For more information or to express your interest in this project, please contact recruitment@abv.org.au.