Just beyond the lock, in the heart of the European Fish Centre ( EFC ), ZEEBRUGSE VISVEILING NV constructed a fully
equipped auction hall in 1993, where state-of-the-art machinery is used for fish processing.
21 hectares of the entire industrial complex are
reserved for fish trade and fish processing.
60 warehouses are connected to the auction hall via a refrigerated corridor. Wholesalers and fish-processing enterprises can rent or buy
these storage spaces. This way, the cold chain is not interrupted, so that a better quality of the products can be guaranteed.
Close to the quay, with its total length of 700 m, shipowners have 42 warehouses at their disposal, where they can store spare parts for their fleet.
The EFC was constructed at a strategic location in Europe, at less than 3 hours by train or by car from at least 4 of the most densely populated areas
of the country. 2 airports, via which fresh fish can be imported to or exported from the EU, are also situated at a fairly short distance. A
market of 100 million consumers, with large cities such as Paris, Amsterdam, London, Cologne, Brussels,…, lies within a radius of 300 km.
NV Zeebrugse Visveiling is the very heart of the EFC : in order to guarantee that fish traders are continuously supplied with high-quality
fish, it is the task of the ZV to make Zeebruges the most attractive place for ships to bring their catch to shore, as well as for suppliers
from all over the world, who are looking for customers for their product in Zeebruges.
In order to be able to provide optimal service, the ZV has a staff of approximately 70 persons.
Iceland, Ireland, England, Denmark and the Faroer Islands are a few of the countries from where fish is sent to the Zeebruges Fish Auction to be
auctioned.
The refrigerated transport of fish caught by Belgian fishing vessels has been extended to foreign
shipowners, who are convinced that Zeebruges is indeed "The Place to be".