More than two million pounds of redfish were processed at McGraw Seafood in Tracadie, New Brunswick last fall.
“We successfully commissioned the redfish production line in fall 2025. It operated for a limited pilot period, which allowed us to test equipment, train staff, validate yields and confirm market specifications. The objective was learning and proof of concept rather than full-scale production. The focus was on operational readiness and market validation, not maximizing throughput in year one,” said Jake Augustine, company general manager.
A new, automated high-capacity packing and freezing multi-species line was installed at the seafood processing facility, owned by Elsipogtog First Nation late last summer.
Submitted photo.
“What’s most important to us is doing this right. Redfish represents an opportunity not just for McGraw Seafood, but for fishermen and coastal communities across the province. We’re focused on building something sustainable, market-driven, and resilient, rather than chasing short-term volume,” said Augustine.
McGraw produced both whole redfish and fillets during its initial run. “The vast majority was whole, but we did do some fillets for local markets,” said Augustine.
Supplying the plant with raw product were nine boats from the Fédération régionale acadienne des pêcheurs professionnels (FRAPP).
“Supply from FRAPP has been great, especially being a pilot project. Lots of learnings are happening. The partnership is constructive and functioning as intended. Like any new fishery, it requires coordination and refinement, but overall the working relationship has been positive. We see this as a long-term relationship rather than a one-season transaction,” said Augustine.
The market search for redfish is progressing well, said Augustine.
“Redfish is a species that requires education and relationship-building, particularly outside North America. We’re encouraged by early interest and feedback, but we’re taking a disciplined approach to ensure pricing and volumes make sense. We’ve seen encouraging interest in Asia. Those markets value consistency and long-term supply, which aligns well with how we want to build this fishery. While it’s still early, the initial response confirms that there is real international potential for Atlantic redfish when positioned properly.”
Augustine said McGraw expects to resume redfish production later this year once quota timing, raw material availability and market demand align. “Our approach is deliberate. We want to scale production responsibly rather than rush volume ahead of confirmed sales,” he said.
Adding redfish to the production line at McGraw resulted in a dozen incremental weeks of work last fall for employees during what would otherwise have been an off-season downtime, said Augustine. “We relied primarily on our existing workforce rather than large-scale new hiring, which is consistent with our goal of creating more stable, year-round employment over time.”
