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Description
Supported by the EEA and Norway Grants, Wave Diving & Fishing are embarking on an innovative project in Romania. This project is a response to the growing demand for seafood and shellfish products in the country, particularly rapana and mussels. It aims to bridge the gap in the local market for shellfish products, which is currently reliant on imports from Bulgaria. The project focuses on environmentally friendly processing of Black Sea wild shellfish species, with a short-term objective of supplying fresh and frozen shellfish products to the Eforie-Costinesti-Olimp coastal region and nearby resorts.
Project goal is to increase in a sustainable way the competitiveness of Wave Diving & Fishing in the blue economy sector in Romania. This will be done by developing, implementing and investing in an innovative and green processing facility as well as local products distribution of wild marine resources (shellfish). The project is expected to cover the demand gap for shellfish products at local level (Black Sea coastline in the Eforie-Costinesti-Olimp and nearby resorts), based on a greener industrial process of Black Sea wild shellfish species - rapana (rapana venosa) and mussels (mytilidae).
The new project aims to build upon the outcomes and outputs of the previous project through value creation and mainly by acquiring equipment and market know-how for developing seafood processing (such as mussels and pearl mussels) as a new business. The additional aspect is driven by the need for addressing the current market demands and, thus, purchasing equipment with capacity to process shellfish harvested also in shallow waters and with the highest demand from customers (mussels), as well as acquiring know-how and business support opportunities in the seafood industry in Romania.
Summary of project results
Wave Diving and Fishing SRL is a Romanian company aiming to bridge the gap in the local market for shellfish products, which is currently reliant on imports from Bulgaria. The project focuses on environmentally friendly processing of Black Sea wild shellfish species, with a short-term objective of supplying fresh and frozen shellfish products to the Eforie-Costinesti-Olimp coastal region and nearby resorts. The project aims to develop, implement, and invest in an innovative, green processing facility for local distribution of shellfish, closing an existing gap in the market for locally sourced shellfish. The goal of this project is to meet the demand for shellfish products along the Black Sea coastline by using sustainable processing methods for species like rapana and mussels. It wishes to meet market demands through capacity to process shellfish from shallow waters, especially mussels, and enhance business support opportunities in Romania''s seafood industry. They aim to be sustainable from start to finish, from using scuba divers to harvest the shellfish to utilizing an innovative processing facility focused on the circular economy with a goal to maximize utilization of byproducts and reduce waste.
The company applied for funding through the call “Small grant scheme 2 Relaunch - Support to start-ups”. The project focuses on creating a sustainable way to process Black Sea wild shellfish species by investing in a green processing facility.
The grants made it possible for the company to implement green technology in the processing facilities, localizing the production of shellfish within Romania. Site renovation was completed, a new production unit was installed along with production line equipment. They were also able to create two new jobs through this project to manage aspects of the project. The company procured supplies and services related to distribution, as well as creating project visibility and a visual identity. Throughout the project they have aimed to make the process of production green from start to finish, opting for processing that reduces waste from byproducts and by using recyclable packaging materials.
The project ran from 01.02.2023 to 30.04.2024.
The project aimed to create a greener way to process and distribute shellfish from the Black Sea to Romania. This included the creation of a processing facility site, procurement of equipment, training and visual identity. By the end of the project the facility is ready for operations after testing the production line and operating permit. They concluded technical training for personnel to se the equipment, as well as health and safety trainings. A vehicle has been procured for distribution, and preliminary agreements have already been made with prospective clients, which are expected to cover their production capacity in the starting season.
They have participated in several Black Sea Basin initiatives related to the Blue Economy such as shellfish harvesting and farming, creating greater visibility for the project.
Innovative technology was used in the development of this processing facility. Measures were implemented to decrease CO2 emissions and introduce waste collection from operational processes, which have both been completed. The company has an estimated annual growth in turnover is projected to be 1,382% by the end of 2024 compared to the baseline year 2021. Similarly, the estimated annual growth in net operational profit (EBIT) is expected to reach 3,939% by the end of 2024 compared to 202. In terms of environmental impact, the estimated annual decrease in CO2 emissions is from 12 tonnes in 2020 to 2 tonnes in 2024, and the estimated annual collection of waste from production and operational processes for re-use or recycling is projected to increase from 0 tonnes in 2020 to 279 tonnes in 2026.
The project Promoter has consistently adhered to good governance practices, including responsible employment and voluntary implementation of business and environmental practices, in line with the OECD guidelines and UN Guiding Principles on business and human rights. For procurement procedures, they have voluntarily chosen to use more detailed and transparent methods than those required for direct procurement for private beneficiaries. In addition, they have focused on evening out gender disparity in the commercial fishing business, putting special attention on hiring female employees.