While fishing is reported as a considerate business in many places, that is not the situation at the Port of Skagen.
- 56 percent of all fish here in Denmark is landed here in Skagen. It looks sensible, says the port's CEO Willy B. Hansen, admitting that "sensible" here actually means that it looks really good.
Where white fish are often landed in Hanstholm, it is a different type of fish that is landed in Skagen.
- Here it is pelagic fish, that is, schooling fish such as herring. But also sandeel, sprat and blue whiting are made into fishmeal, explains the director about a fishery that involves both the production of fishmeal, but the fishing industry brings more with it.
- There are fishermen who actively choose Skagen, often because their ships are built here at Karstensens Shipyard. The fishermen are connected here with offices and bases. Now there are also Swedes who are moving here because they have bought both ships and boats, says Willy B. Hansen.
Maritime service
The fact that the large fishing vessels come here also means that there is the maritime service industry.
- Here is service, infrastructure and the service industry that means that everything can be arranged quickly, explains Willy B. Hansen and elaborates on the consequences:
- We have worked for many years to service the large ships, and it costs money to maintain the infrastructure for that.
It also attracts foreign ships with fishermen in several ways.
- Fishermen from Ireland and Scotland often come to Skagen to have their boats serviced when there is the Skagen Festival. And others have lived in the city for 30 years, says the port director, who has held his position since 2003.
The rejected business areas
A business area that is in huge demand among several Danish ports is the shipping of offshore wind. But it is not something that the Port of Skagen will focus on.
- We have looked at wind and assessed that we cannot do that because of the proximity to the city, protected areas and space. Recycling is an area that we have also opted out of for the same reasons, and it does not fit in with the food industry, says Willy B. Hansen.
However, there is an option within wind that has not been opted out.
- A service port for offshore wind farms in both the North Sea and the Kattegat is, on the other hand, an option that we are looking at, he says.
Recently, the Port of Skagen has also welcomed the oil and gas industry into the port, because there was a vacant berth for a drilling rig from Noble. The rig came to Skagen because there is room for it right at the quay.
- Noble Resilient is now located, and we can do that because of the three major expansions that we have completed, says the director, who reports on a source of income that is also noticeable among accommodations and shops in Skagen, it says.
Another business area that also trickled down to the city began about a decade ago.
- From 2013 we began investing in cruise ships, and today the area accounts for 15-20 percent of our gross revenue. Last year we had 170,000 cruise guests, and the number is expected to increase to 200,000 within the next three years, says Willy B. Hansen.
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