More than 30,000 years ago, humans were already fishing for bluefin tuna that entered the Mediterranean Sea in spring through the Strait of Gibraltar, fleeing from what was their worst enemy: orcas. For 30,000 years, the fishing and consumption of tuna has spread, and currently, bluefin tuna (Thunnus thynnus) has become a highly valued fish that has not been without controversy.
In response to the danger of extinction of this species, the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT) and the European Commission took action, and between 2006 and 2008, a series of measures were agreed upon, including reducing the bluefin tuna fishing quota or closing fishing grounds located in the eastern Atlantic and the Mediterranean Sea. There has been no lack of controversy, but Grup Balfegó, currently led by the fifth generation of fishermen in the family, has managed to adapt very well to current regulations and legislative obstacles to become the leading company in Spain in the capture, maintenance, and commercialization of bluefin tuna. And it has done so by combining fishing activities with aquaculture, becoming leaders in the sector, becoming increasingly known and present in the territory, only focusing on brand image, in a sector, that of fishing, rather traditional and pigeonholed. Chapeau!
With an approximate annual turnover of 50 million euros, cousins Manel Balfegó and Pere Vicent Balfegó and their respective wives have revolutionized the traditional fishing of this species to become a benchmark management model that, if it continues on this path, will possibly be studied in business schools in the future.
"In one campaign, our aquaculture facilities can accommodate between 11,000 and 12,000 tuna," they explain from the company
BALFEGÓ FISHING AND FEEDING PROCESS
With a fleet of two purse-seine fishing boats and two longline fishing boats -in addition to two boats for working in the facilities-, the Balfegó family dedicates itself to fishing bluefin tuna in the Mediterranean Sea for one month -which begins at the end of May-, but they usually reach their assigned fishing quota in less than a week. The resulting catch is transferred to aquaculture facilities (fish farms) where the tuna are fed exclusively with oily fish until there is a buyer. Once there is a buyer and the order is placed, the tuna are sacrificed (never before!) With the process of the ike-jime (without suffering) to ensure the freshness of the product. In this way, tuna can gain the optimal fat mass and can be sold throughout the year worldwide. "In one campaign, our aquaculture facilities can host between 11,000 and 12,000 tuna," the company explains.Currently, its market is focused on Japan (32% of total sales); Spain, with 27% of sales; the United States, with 24%; and to a lesser extent the United Kingdom (6%), Germany (2%) and Italy (2%).
These pools full of tuna are located 2.5 nautical miles - about 5 kilometers - from the coast of l'Ametlla de Mar (La Cala, for its inhabitants, in the Baix Ebre), the town where the Balfegó family was born and raised. The connection they have with the territory is very important, which is why their facilities are located there.
However, on June 22, the 4,500 square meter bluefin tuna processing plant in the municipality, which employs about 200 people and indirectly 200 more, burned down. Although work continued the next day and within three days of the fire 90% of orders were served normally, the group is rehabilitating a warehouse: "The ultimate goal, however, and what we are working on, is the reconstruction of the burned warehouse, which is expected to be ready within about eighteen months," explains a Group spokesperson.
BEYOND COMMERCIALIZATION
But the Balfegó family is not only dedicated to the fishing, capture, and commercialization of bluefin tuna, but they have created an entire experience around this species. In this way, they take advantage of all the resources they have available and get the maximum performance from them. A clear example is the Tuna Tour. The experience, which began in 2012, takes passengers aboard its own catamaran - which accommodates up to 69 people - to the group's aquaculture facilities where the tuna are feeding. In a pool at these facilities - 50 meters in diameter and 35 meters deep, where about 400 specimens averaging 2.5 meters in length and 250 kg in weight each can be found - the most daring can swim and dive among tuna that who knows if they will eat someday. This 2018, the same group expects 20,000 people to enjoy the Tuna Tour.Furthermore, Balfegó has promoted the dissemination and knowledge of the Thunnus thynnus from different areas. A very well-thought-out brand strategy that, of course, has borne fruit.
Their latest adventure has been the opening of the gastronomic space Tunateca in the center of Barcelona. "It is the first space in the world dedicated exclusively to bluefin tuna, a new concept that brings together tasting, culture, and information about this species."Since the beginning of this new stage, captained by the Balfegó cousins, they have promoted books and basic popular science guides about Mediterranean bluefin tuna, some publications made jointly with the Alícia Foundation.
Other marketing actions they have carried out include promoting workshops and cooking courses and partnering with top-level chefs, such as Martín Berasategui (8 Michelin stars), with whom they made the short film Mar de somnis, una vida entre tonyines roges (Sea of dreams, a life among bluefin tuna) and who serves as their ambassador.
But it doesn't end there, and their latest adventure has been the opening of the gastronomic space Tunateca in the center of Barcelona. "It is the first space in the world dedicated exclusively to bluefin tuna, a new concept that brings together tasting, culture, and information about this species," they explain from the company.
Future plans and innovation mark this company, which has become the first in the sector that, in addition to being sustainable, has a unique traceability system that electronically manages capture documentation throughout the entire phase of fishing, transfer, caging, processing, and commercialization. A transparency process that even incorporates international observers on the boats when they go fishing. It is a clear example, then, of how to transform and innovate in a traditional sector of great importance in our country, that of fishing.