The transaction strengthens SARIA’s international marine and fish activities and its footprint in the global marine ingredients market, while supporting Fiordo Austral’s growth.

Founded in 1995, Fiordo Austral is a company owned by several Chilean families and the clear market leader in the marine and salmon by-product industry in Chile. With around 800 employees and six production sites in Chile’s main salmon-farming regions, the company specializes in the processing and valorization of salmon by-products and offers a broad range of solutions and services to the aquaculture sector.

Building a stronger platform for the global aquaculture industryces

The partnership connects Fiordo Austral’s strong operational presence and market expertise in Latin America, along with an established global sales network, with SARIA’s technical know-how and proven commercial reach in Europe through its Bioceval business unit. Customers of both companies will benefit from expanded capabilities across the marine ingredients value chain, accelerated product development, broader market access and increasingly specialized and sustainable solutions.

By combining the strengths of both companies, the partnership aims to support reliable supply chains, high-quality standards, and continued innovation for customers and partners worldwide.

As family-owned businesses, SARIA and Fiordo Austral also share a commitment to sustainable development, responsible entrepreneurship and long-term partnerships.

Next steps

The participation will become part of Bioceval, SARIA’s business unit responsible for fish activities. SARIA will hold two of the seven seats on Fiordo Austral’s Board of Directors.

The transaction is expected to close in January 2027, subject to the receipt of all required regulatory approvals, such as antitrust clearance. Following that, the integration project will begin. We will share more details once the dedicated teams have been established.

It was the humpback whale that made headlines across Northern Europe and now it serves as a prime example of how circular resource recovery works in practice.

In the spring of 2026, the humpback whale known as “Timmy” attracted widespread attention after repeatedly stranding on the German Baltic Sea coast.

Despite extensive rescue efforts, the whale was later found dead near the Danish island of Anholt. Danish authorities examined it before it was handed over to Daka for further processing.

For Daka, handling large marine animals is nothing out of the ordinary; with more than 7,000 kilometers of coastline, it occasionally happens in Denmark that whales and other marine mammals wash ashore.

Interest far beyond Denmark

What made this case extraordinary was the extent of public and media attention. German television stations, newspapers, news agencies, and documentary producers reached out to Daka to find out what happened after the whale reached Denmark and how the processing system works. The story remained a topic of great interest for months and received extensive coverage in Germany.

Daka also received inquiries from private individuals with a wide variety of requests. Some hoped to receive ashes to scatter at sea, others inquired about whale oil for educational or artistic purposes, and still others suggested preserving parts of the animal for memorial projects and exhibitions.

These conversations provided a valuable opportunity to explain how animal byproducts are handled within the framework of a regulated circular economy.

A story about circularity

Under EU legislation, whales are classified as Category 1 material and must be handled under strict conditions. Due to the whale’s thick layer of blubber, the material first underwent an extended steam-based treatment process lasting approximately one week before entering Daka’s production process.

In Denmark, the preferred solution is always for marine animals to remain in nature and return naturally to the ecosystem. When this is not possible, regulated processing ensures that resources are still recovered and returned to circulation in a safe and responsible way.

SARIA UK celebrates its centenary, recognising 100 years of growth, change and the people who have helped shape the business along the way.

Founded in 1926, when the De Mulder family established a slaughter business and fallen stock yard in Doncaster, named PDM Group, the business has since grown and evolved into the organisation it is today. 

From those early beginnings, the business expanded its operations to include rendering and animal by-product processing. In 2003, food waste collections from national retailers marked another important development, establishing capabilities that continue to play an important role in the business today.

The next significant chapter began in 2011 when SARIA Group became a majority shareholder, followed by the full acquisition of PDM in 2016, bringing the business into the wider Group and supporting its continued growth and development.

Today, the business operates across multiple locations and a diverse range of activities, including animal by-product processing, food waste, oils and fats, as well as supplying the foodservice industry.

Celebrating a special milestone

The centenary was marked with celebrations at Doncaster, the site where the business began and which remains its head office today.

The event brought together people from across the business, as well as those with a connection to its history, providing an opportunity to hear about the business’s early years and recognise the people who have contributed to its success.

Looking to the future

Much has changed since 1926, but people remain at the heart of the business’s success.The centenary provides an opportunity to celebrate that history and the achievements of the past 100 years, while looking ahead to what the future may bring.

SecAnim España takes a step forward in its digital transformation process with the launch of its first website.

This new corporate channel was created with the goal of bringing our business closer to our customers, strengthening our online presence, and providing the organization with an official information platform that we previously lacked.

A new digital space for the Business unit

The creation of this portal represents a very positive step forward, providing, for the first time, a centralized channel to share who SecAnim España is, how it works, and the value it brings. In this way, the organization is adapting to current needs for communication and corporate visibility.

Clarity and showcase of the services

The main objective of this platform is to consolidate SecAnim España’s presence in the digital environment. The website provides the ideal space to explain, in a clear, structured, and efficient manner, exactly what is done and which collection and processing services are offered on a day-to-day basis. It also serves as an excellent calling card to highlight SecAnim España’s work to the rest of the Group’s countries.

Continuous improvement in customer service

Beyond corporate information, the design and features of the new website are intended to facilitate direct contact. The new tool aims to streamline communication processes and establish more direct channels, significantly improving the service and support provided to customers and partners.

The launch of this new website marks a fundamental improvement in the way SecAnim España communicates and presents itself. It is a key tool that will help make the organization more accessible and approachable, faithfully reflecting the daily work, professionalism, and commitment of all operational and administrative teams.

On August 1st, Richard Poskitt took over as Managing Director of SARIA UK, succeeding Thomas Versterre as part of a planned leadership transition.

Richard has been with the organisation since 1998, when it was still Prosper De Mulder Group (PDM). Over the years, he has held a variety of management positions across the business, including ReFood Head of Supply Chain, later becoming Supply Chain Director for SARIA UK. In addition to leading the continued growth of the SARIA UK business, Richard has progressively taken on broader responsibilities across SARIA UK in preparation for this transition.

Drawing on these experiences, Richard brings extensive industry expertise and a deep understanding of the UK activities to his new role.

Having worked closely with Suppliers, customers, colleagues and partners across the different businesses for many years, he has built strong relationships throughout the organisation and is ready to take SARIA UK into its next chapter. “I look forward to taking on this new challenge and hope to repay the trust that has been placed in me. After many years with the business, I know the strength, commitment, and expertise of our people, and I have every confidence in what we can achieve together,” he says.

Thomas Versterre, who has held the Managing Director position for the last two years, will stay on board in the UK until the end of the year to ensure a smooth handover and support key initiatives. He joined SARIA UK in August 2024 to lead the business transformation. Since then, he has successfully navigated the company through a period of significant change.

His leadership has helped position the UK business for its next stage of development and created a strong foundation for the future. Reflecting on an eventful two years, Thomas says: “It was a two-year adventure I will never forget. I had the pleasure of meeting many enthusiastic people who are passionate about their jobs and about the different parts of SARIA UK.”

A strategic investment is nearing completion to significantly increase processing capacity: The SARIA facility in Jezuicka Struga was one of the key destinations during Norbert Rethmann’s recent visit to Poland.

The visit provided an opportunity to review the progress of ongoing investments and discuss the future development of the group’s operations in Poland.

A central focus was the major investment currently being finalized at the site, which is intended to expand the processing capacity for Category 1 materials. The project has now entered its final testing and commissioning phase. Once operational, this investment will almost double the facility’s processing capacity, providing a solid foundation for future growth and enhancing SARIA’s capacity to offer dependable solutions for the safe treatment of animal by-products.

Jezuicka Struga has played an important role in SARIA’s operations for many years, undergoing continuous modernization and development. The current expansion is another step in strengthening the company’s core business and supporting the principles of a circular economy by managing valuable resources responsibly. During his visit to the area, Norbert Rethmann reviewed the progress of other RETHMANN Group investments:

“I have been visiting Poland regularly for many years and am delighted every time to witness the development of the country and our local companies. What particularly impresses me are the people who are working towards the future with great dedication, a high level of expertise and entrepreneurial courage. Poland has developed exceptionally well in recent years and continues to offer excellent prospects for sustainable growth, innovation and successful partnerships,” he said.

This visit emphasised Poland’s strategic importance as one of the Group’s primary European markets and reaffirmed RETHMANN’s dedication to investing in modern infrastructure, innovation, and sustainable growth.

ReFood Poland is growing rapidly, and as they grow, so does the customer base and the scale of operations.

To support existing customers more effectively and develop new business, the sales department is expanding. In recent years, the volume of raw materials collected has almost doubled and is expected to exceed 100,000 tonnes per year soon. At the same time, the number of customers continues to grow.

Until now, Poland has been divided into two sales regions. With the increasing scale of operations, REFOOD is now moving to a three-region structure to enable closer customer support and faster responses to their needs.

From July, each region will be managed by a sales manager supported by a team of sales representatives. All managers report to the Sales and Development Director.

The expansion also includes an internal promotion: a former sales representative has taken on the role of sales manager for the new region. This reflects the career development opportunities within REFOOD and the company’s focus on developing its people.

Why the change?

The new structure will allow REFOOD to stay closer to existing customers, strengthen long-term relationships, respond more quickly to their needs and further develop new business opportunities. One area with particular potential is the growing HoReCa sector, where demand for reliable partners such as REFOOD is increasing.