Kofradia Basque Food was born from the joint commitment of inshore fishing producer organizations in Gipuzkoa and Bizkaia, together with the Basque Government, to add value to the fishing sector and guarantee consumers access to products of the highest quality and traceability. Within this framework, the organization has made its first purchase of the tuna season, acquiring the first ten specimens of Albacore tuna (Thunnus alalunga) from the 2026 fishing season at the Burela fish market (Lugo), during the unloading by the vessel Gure Fátima from Bermeo.
The first albacore tuna of the season was landed on Wednesday afternoon, May 27th, at approximately 8:00 PM at the Burela fish market. The fishing vessel Gure Fátima, based in Bermeo, was the first boat to unload albacore tuna.
The vessel unloaded 2,100 kilos of this species, caught one by one using trolling gear. The catch was distributed among large, medium, and smaller specimens (known as "monkeys"), along with an additional catch of between 480 and 600 kilos of bigeye tuna.
This first commercial transaction comes just one month after the official launch of KBS and marks the first milestone in the business calendar of a company created specifically to reverse a historical trend: the transfer of added value from the Basque fishing sector to intermediaries outside the region. KBS was founded with the aim of ensuring that the highest quality fish, caught by the Basque inshore fleet using traditional methods, reaches consumers directly, adhering to the same standards of excellence, sustainability, and origin that have defined the sector for decades.
In accordance with the guidelines of Kofradia Basque Seafood, the acquired specimens were transported this Friday morning to one of their facilities. The entire logistical and handling process is carefully controlled to ensure food safety standards and traceability certified by industry professionals.
"This first operation embodies the change in model we are driving," says Jorge Hernando, CEO of Kofradia Basque Seafood. "We are taking a cross-cutting role in the supply chain by integrating the catch by our inshore fleet, the processing with technological methods in our plants, and direct distribution. Supplying the first albacore tuna of the northern season to both the restaurant sector and fishmongers, as well as new consumers, confirms that added value can be consolidated at the source itself," he concludes.
The first cutting of this batch was carried out this morning at one of the Kofradia Basque Sea Food (KBS) facilities. This commitment translates into non-negotiable criteria: product caught using selective fishing gear, the Eusko Label quality seal, MSC (Marine Stewardship Council) environmental sustainability certification, and complete traceability from vessel to point of sale. This value proposition not only benefits the consumer but also reinforces the economic viability of Basque artisanal fishing and its role as a strategic activity for the region.
