Maia Global, have been conducting packaging trials for the fish processing industry. The key challenges that were being faced were related to the large amount of Skipjack tuna packaging waste, issues experienced with wet packaging and especially the very labour intensive container load / unload process.
The customer is a processor of canned tuna and the focus of the program is on the inbound supply chain. The product is Skipjack tuna and is normally loaded on container with approx. 27-28MT payload. The fish sizes range between 1-2kgs (10%) and > 2kgs (90%). The packaging currently used are 25kg woven bags or cardboard cartons where there is 1080 units per container (equal to approx. 11,520 fish).
We conducted the shipments using the ORCA1000 packaging rental program. The ORCA is collapsible so did not take up valuable space and is easily constructed to be put into operation. We loaded approx. 675 kilograms of tuna per ORCA and a total of forty (40) ORCA’s into the 40 feet reefer container. This resulted in a total product weight of 27 metric tons.
It was demonstrated that by implementing the ORCA1000 unit across the customer’s inbound supply chain, they could maintain the same load utilisation of 27-28MT of product per container. This was a critical component to avoid additional ship-ping costs. In addition to this, there were the added benefits achieved through the improved cargo handling efficiencies, reduce cargo touch points and the elimination of packaging waste from the supply chain.
The ORCA1000 can be used in the fishing industry to reduce manual handling and eliminate packaging waste. The ORCA can be handled by the ship board equipment, so it has the added benefit to support the handling of fish directly from the vessel. It is also easy to clean and sanitise, making it easier and safer to handle the fish. The ORCA is a great alternative to older, more labour intensive methods of handling fish, such as plastic totes, cartons and polypropylene bags.
For more information, please contact the team at Maia Global on info@maia-global.com to see what we can do to help your business.