Bantry Bay Seafoods casts its nets in Chilean waters

BANTRY Bay Seafoods has announced a €4 million joint venture investment in Chile as part of major drive for global domination in the mussel sector.

The award-winning shellfish producer has formed Blue Shell in partnership with Spanish group Mascato. Under the terms of the deal Bantry Bay Seafoods will have the major shareholding in the business. It will create 200 jobs within three years and process 19,000 tonnes of mussels annually. That is over 20% of the current annual Chilean production in that category of seafood.

The new plant on Chiloe Island will be built close to already established sea farms and that will be integral to the new project.