Balfegó successfully concludes the 2025 bluefin tuna fishing season

• The fleet has caught 3,700 tons in nine days of effective fishing.

• Balfegó suggests to the EU and the ICCAT Scientific Committee that they study the possibility of anticipating the start of the next campaigns to ensure more efficient fishing and benefits for the species.

The fleet commanded by Balfegó has completed its annual bluefin tuna (Thunnus thynnus) fishing season and has managed to catch the assigned quota—a total of 3,700 tons, derived from the trade agreements reached this year—in nine days of effective fishing in the western Mediterranean. The fleet captained by Balfegó set sail on May 26 and returned to port last Saturday night. A total of thirteen European purse seine vessels participated in the campaign, two of which belong to Balfegó (La Frau Dos and Tio Gel Segon), along with 26 auxiliary vessels. The vessels towing the 18 mobile aquaculture ponds from the Balearic fishing grounds to the L’Ametlla de Mar facilities are expected to arrive starting this coming weekend.

As mentioned before the start of the fishing season, Balfegó has noted the early arrival of bluefin tuna to the Balearic fishing grounds by approximately two to three weeks, as a direct consequence of the warming of Mediterranean waters. Therefore, the company suggests that the EU and the ICCAT Scientific Committee study the possibility of bringing forward the start of future seasons to ensure more efficient fishing and benefits for the species.

This was the second season in which Balfegó has fished under the B Corp sustainability seal, which it has held since March 2024, making it the first company in the Spanish fishing sector to achieve this certification. Precisely, one of the actions that support this certification is the “Balfegó protocol,” which the company applies in its fishery and pioneering practices that guarantee animal welfare and crew safety. Thus, thanks to this protocol, the Balfegó fleet, made up of Spanish, French, and Italian vessels, has once again targeted adult specimens in its catches, carrying out a rapid and effective fishing campaign, completed in just nine days.

A pioneer in the bluefin tuna fishery, the Balfegó protocol preserves the safety of sailors and the well-being of the tuna during capture and transfer operations, helping to avoid operational risks and increase product quality. The Balfegó protocol optimizes the tuna capture, transshipment, and transport processes. This also translates into a noticeable increase in the fleet’s eco-efficiency and a reduction in its environmental impact. According to Juan José Navarro, Deputy Director of Balfegó, “We ended the campaign satisfied with catching the assigned quota in such a short time, thanks to the efforts of all the crew members and vessels involved in the operation, as well as the abundance of tuna.”

As on previous occasions, the campaign was attended by thirteen independent observers—ICCAT members—and the fishing operations and the transfer of the caught tuna between pools were monitored by stereoscopic cameras that accurately determine the average weight of the catch. During this campaign, Grup Balfegó has generated more than 350 direct jobs, representing an 18% to 20% increase compared to the number of jobs created in 2024.