The Black Cod Company grows team with new operations manager

Zeeland-based The Black Cod Company has announced the appointment of Janneke van der Linde as its new operations manager.

Van der Linde previously worked with company founders Ohad Maiman and Thue Holm in The Kingfish Company in Zeeland, specialising in sales, and later was appointed as the landbased yellowtail farmer's Brand Ambassador. In 2023, she moved to Iceland-based arctic char RAS farmer Matorka, as Sales Manager for Europe.

In a LinkedIn post announcing her appointment, van der Linde said she was "very proud and excited to be part of this joyride", thanking Maiman and Holm, and calling her appointment "an honour".

Maiman and Holm told WeAreAquaculture in an interview last October that they chose black cod for their latest land-based farming venture due to its high value, and lack of availability locally in Europe.

"We still have the conviction that the best use of RAS or land-based technology is to aim for this trifecta of high value species that works well in RAS, deployed in an area where it's not otherwise available,” Maiman said at the time. “Black cod is one of the highest value species. There's been enough research work done to close the cycle on the hatchery and to confirm that they are well adaptable to RAS."

The site in Zeeland was chosen because the region offers a unique combination of clean seawater, existing permits, adequate infrastructure, and aquaculture expertise, the founders explained, and the company received help in selecting premises and securing permits from regional development company Impuls Zeeland.

In May this year, The Black Cod Company announced it had secured an investment from Impuls Zeeland's InnoGo! Fund enabling it to begin importing and developing broodstock in preparation for the build-out of its full cycle hatchery and initial production.