Bremerhaven is still the most important location of fish processing and handling in Germany. Nearly 5.000 employees are working for the fishery harbour of Bremerhaven, the fish industry or for their subcontractors. A cluster of fishery, which comprehends the whole value added chain, developed for decades. The most important commodity flows of fishery run through Bremerhaven – The seaside city is of capital importance from the fishery markets in West Germany.

At no other place in Germany the whole value added chain profits that much because of the expertise of the several enterprises and their employees in contact with the fish – a sensible comestible.

In the past few years the fishery in Bremerhaven looked forward to the challenges of the markets. Next to the aspect of the foods health, the ecological responsibility of fish industry has been the centre of numerous activities.

Products of ecological cultivation and sustainable fishery get more and more popular. Concerning this development fishery in Bremerhaven is in the fore.

Since the beginning of 2003 “Frosta” is producing according to their own developed purity requirements: All products are produced without addition of dyestuffs, flavours, flavour potentiators, emulsifiers, stabilisers, chemical modified starches or hardened fats.

Since 2002 the “Deutsche See” has got organic foods in its assortment. It took its beginning with organic salmon; meanwhile the product line has been expanded by prawns, brown trouts, catfish and tilapia in organic quality. The organic fish comes from aquaculture companies, in which the fish is brought up mildly under strict rules. All in all the “Deutsche See” also is looking on quality criteria of fish processing like more shopping from certified, sustainable fishery.

The big enterprises like “Frosta” started a pilot project: They calculate the CO2- Footstep of every single product and try to reduce the CO2-emissions for 70% until 2013.

For these reasons the located enterprises are very interested in cooperation with scientific institutes in Bremerhaven, which are known over the regional boundarys.