The Romeo of the fishing business

A TUNA processing technologist

has launched an upgrading programme at the Pacific Fishing Company that will strengthen its position as one of the world’s top producers of

high-quality tuna.

Romeo Garcia, 53, of British Columbia Packers Ltd, Canada, was originally assigned by his company to conduct extensive research into PAFCO s processing methods. He has since been appointed deputy manager operations with PAFCO. Garcia arrived in Fiji in July to take up his new post.

“My intention is to upgrade the system in accordance with international regulations. To achieve this, I need to upgrade the existing facilities and procedures, then train and reorientate the people behind the equipment,” he says.

“The eventual objective is to meet the requirements of the Canadian Department of Fisheries, and to get the plant commissioned as a producer for Marks 8c Spencers, of the United Kingdom

the most demanding buyer.”

Prior to his new appointment at PAF- CO, Garcia performed quality assurance work at the plant over a two-year period, His survey has formed the basis of a

number of recommendations to further streamline PAFCO’s operations, intro duce new tuna equipment and renovate

existing facilities.

Rather than stand back and supervise installation work, Garcia prefers to go onto the floor and pitch in along with the workers. “PAFCO has the potential to become an A-l cannery,” he says.

“One of the reasons my company, B.C.

Packers, is taking an interest in the can nery is its strategic location. It is right in the middle of the tuna source.”

Under a technical agreement between the Fiji Government and B.C. Packers to upgrade PAFCO, Garcia was sent to Fiji to follow through on his earlier recom mendations. His company has also assigned a quality assurance officer to work at PAFCO. He hopes to upgrade the entire plant within a year to comply with Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) at an estimated cost of US$2.5 million.

Garcia has already increased the speed of several processes. “In a fish cannery, the quality of your product can only be

maintained through quick processing,”

he says. Precooking, one of the first stages of processing tuna used to take

two hours. After Garcia made a number of changes and installed new plumbing for the steam ovens, it now takes less than half long. He also has plans for a new more efficient storage system. “We eventually hope to have about 3000 tuna fish boxes to be used in both the col dstore and the thawing area,” he says.

“Food grade, saltwater aluminium

plates shipped from Canada through

B.C. Packers are currently being assem bled in Suva.”

The fish room, which consists of the thawing area, the butchering area and the precooking area will eventually hold about 100 boxes. These replace three huge cement thawing tanks. “We’ve changed to the batch system using the upwelling method of thawing,” says Gar cia. “With the old system, it took a mini mum of five hours to thaw small fish.

The new cold storage is funded by the Australian Government. It will be built on reclaimed land in front of the can nery. While the existing facility stores 1500 tonnes of tuna, and is designed for big fish weighing 10 kg and upwards, the new coldstore will accommodate 3000 tonnes of cannery-grade fish. □