Flip through the latest issue of Gulf Weekly.
Three Bahraini entrepreneurs are hoping to reel-in new customers and get them hooked on fresh fish by delivering the catch-of-the-day directly to their doorstep.
Fish Transporters (also known as Al Samak, which means ‘the fishermen in Arabic) is an online seafood delivery company, which was launched in December of last year, by Mohammed Toraif, Sayed Mohammed and Sayed Jaafar, with the aim of supporting Bahrain’s local fishing community and providing customers with the freshest fish.
Mr Toraif, the founder and chief executive officer of Fish Transporter, said: “Some people don’t have the time or even the desire to venture into the fish market because of the smell and other factors such as cleaning the fish and even preparing it.
“As a result of this I noticed that a big percentage of the new generation are not eating fresh fish and most of the time, they rely on supermarkets and frozen items.
“So I asked myself, why not provide this service to people? We offer a wide range of fresh fish that we deliver right to people’s doorsteps.”
The company received BD20,000 start-up capital from Tenmou, the kingdom’s first ‘Business Angels’, which helps develop and boost the next generation of Bahraini business leaders by investing in their dreams.
Mr Toraif said: “Tenmou supports businesses in all aspects which is something an entrepreneur always needs. An idea without proper mentorship and guidance is worth nothing.”
The user-friendly website offers step-by-step in choosing your desired fish and the service you require, be it cleaning, filleting, marinating or even cooking it.
After the order has been made Mr Mohammed, 31, from Hamad Town, handles selection, purchase and delivery of the fish. He heads to the market in the early hours to pick the best fish, handles all the messy work and makes sure it’s ready in time for lunch.
Local chefs are also on standby to cook the selected fish in traditional Bahraini style seafood dishes before being delivered.
The wide selection of fish includes local favourites such as hammour (grouper), chanaad (kingfish) and safi (rabbit fish) as well as faskar, rabeeb, janam, sea bream, tilapia (bulti), Atlantic salmon, mackerel, milk fish, soloos, shrimps, lobsters and crabs, among others.
Although Mr Mohammed’s family are in the farming industry, he decided to swap the land for the water.
He said: “In the old days, farming and fishing went hand in hand as they would trade goods in areas that it didn’t exist. For example, a farmer from Budaiya would send his products to Sitra and on his way back would return with fish for the area.
“Although my family were farmers I didn’t think that I had to fall into the same category. I was just passionate about the idea of Fish Transporter. There is nothing like it in Bahrain and I wanted to be a part of it.”
Mr Toraif, 30, from Sanabis, comes from a long line of seafaring folk, his grandfather Isa was a pearl diver in Bahrain’s pre-oil era and his father Abdulkarim, 63, is a well-known retired marine mechanic and a long-time fisherman.
Mr Toraif said: “My father loves to fish and has passed on his trade to me. I used to go fishing with him as a kid. My fondest memory was at the age of 11 when I caught a hammour with him. It weighed around 13kg and when I carried it, it was almost my height.
“He taught me how to fish and choose the freshest catch. Each type is different so he showed me what to look for when picking my fish.”
Mr Toraif dreams of someday expanding the online fish trading business throughout the region and even globally.
Mr Jaafar, 24, from Jeblat Habshi, handles the orders and public relations for the trio’s new enterprise.
He also has an affinity for the fish business as his father, Sayed Moosa, used to manage a fishmonger called Al Jazzaf but retired due to ‘corruption’ in the industry.
He said: “My father retired when the fishing industry began to go corrupt. For example, fishermen would go days without pay because people would purchase fish on credit. They didn’t know what was coming and going. They were lacking support and aid. I was 15 at the time when he decided to hang up his fishing net and turned his attention to me. He encouraged me to focus on my education. He wanted me to have all the things he didn’t.”
Mr Jaafar went to study business and finance at the University of Wales, UK, where he gained lots of experience but didn’t find his passion.
He said: “When I returned, I told my dad I wanted to join the fishing industry and support our local fishermen. He thought it wasn’t a great idea since he was hurt by it in the past but our online business is proving more beneficial than the old ways.
“The fishermen now get paid cash-in hand and being online is great advertising for them to tap into new markets. Fishermen don’t have access to these facilities. Plus we are able to deliver to their customers that can’t make it. We are trying to take their business further.
“This is a business very close to us and we will do whatever it takes to keep Bahrain’s rich fishing history alive.”
Since the trio launched the website, www.FishTransporter.com, they have had 685 orders and gathered 472 loyal followers. Aside from delivering to individuals, they also provide fresh fish to supermarkets and restaurants.
The website will also act as a hub for fishing tips. Mr Toraif said: “People are not just getting fresh fish from Fish Transporter, we are implementing a full system to maintain a highly positive customer experience, starting with seafood recipes and ending with nutrition information. We have more surprises in the pipeline.”
Customers can also order through a hotline and by the end of September via a mobile application.
For details, follow Mr Toraif on Twitter @toraif or email m.toraif@fishtransporter.com
