A Tradition With a Future Fishing One-by-One: Why Good Traditions Last Traditionally, open ocean tuna fishing has been challenging and demanding work: Exposed to the power of nature and faceto-face with the sea, fishing for tuna was an artisanal tradition that was mastered only by experienced fishermen. With the arrival of industrial fishing, this picture has drastically changed. Highly mechanized large-scale fishing vessels are exploiting tuna resources worldwide, often indiscriminately catching other species and leaving marine life overexploited or depleted. BISKAMAR recognizes that the art of selective fishing is key for the future of our oceans. BISKAMAR fishermen use traditional single-hook capture methods for tuna, fishing one-by-one, as generations of fishermen have always done. Good traditions in the fishery sector shall last for the benefit of future generations.
Why Source Globally When a Treasure Exists Locally? Selectively Caught Albacore Tuna - in Europe s Backyard Most of the tuna consumed in Europe is imported from far away oceans, often leaving questions with regards to product integrity and identity. BISKAMAR offers direct and transparent sourcing access to Europe s most selective tuna fishery: Working the rough waters of the Cantabrian Sea ( ), the BISKAMAR fleet catches albacore tuna (Thunnus alalunga) only by pole & line ( ) and trolling ( ) gear. Both of these single-hook capture methods are highly selective with bycatch rates lower than 1% 1. 1 Albacore tuna (Thunnus alalunga) as the target species of the BISKAMAR fleet makes up more than 99% of the total landed catch volume. Since fish are caught individually, by-catch species with no commercial value can be returned to the sea alive. BISKAMAR Fishery Facts: Fishing Operators: Fleet: Capture Method: Target Species: Landing Ports: Capture Area: Fishing Season: Annual Landing Volumes: Average Size of Tuna: Gipuzkoa s Small Scale Fish Producers Organization (OPEGUI) 55 Vessels / Family-owned Pole & Line (37 Vessels), Trolling (18 Vessels) Albacore Tuna (Thunnus alalunga) Hondarribia, Getaria, Pasaia, Donostia, Mutriku Cantabrian Sea, ICES Sub-Areas VIII and IX (FAO 27) June November 3 000 8 000 t 8-10 kg
Fishing, a Family Business - Why Responsibility Matters Family Tradition and Responsible Fishing BISKAMAR s vessels have been family-owned for generations by individuals that take pride in investing in the future of the fishery through responsible fishing practices. Familyowned fishing fleets bring more to the fishery business than just maximisation of profits. All BISKAMAR fishery stakeholders feel a responsibility to future generations of fishermen and, therefore, strive to keep oceans healthy and marine life abundant. This is at the heart of BISKAMAR s business philosophy and provides the basis for its sustainable fishing practices. Emeterio Urresti, Captain of «Santa Luzia» and «Azkoiti» «I belong to a family that has a long history of fishing. Going back to my great-grandfather, Miguel, five generations of my family have dedicated their lives to the sea. Over the generations, we have developed an intimate relationship with the sea: One of absolute respect, which obliges us to ensure the balance and sustainability of the resources it offers. All families in BISKAMAR are closely tied to the marine environment and aim to ensure that fishing can continue to be a family tradition for future generations. This is why at BISKAMAR we offer our customers a firm commitment to preserve marine resources, sharing with them our traditional values of respect and sustainability that, in today s world, are more necessary than ever.»
Premium Quality Albacore Tuna Fresh From The Cantabrian Sea BISKAMAR Your Guarantee for Freshness and Quality Albacore tuna from BISKAMAR appeals to consumers due to its firm texture, rich taste and light colouring. Its rich in Omega-3 fatty acids and much lower in mercury in comparison to larger-sized tuna such as Yellowfin from tropical waters. The freshness and quality of BISKAMAR tuna is guaranteed by best practices at every step of production, which includes an intact cold chain that begins with all BISKAMAR catching vessels and extends to the cold storage and licensed seafood manufacturing facilities. BISKAMAR s processing partners are part of an integrated quality assurance scheme and fulfil the highest standards of food safety according to the standards of International Food Safety (IFS) and British Retail Consortium (BRC). All BISKAMAR products will be manufactured and delivered according to clients specifications. The following product forms are available: Fresh: Whole, Whole & Gutted, Loins, Loin Portions, Steaks Frozen: Loins, Loin Portions, Steaks Canned: According to clients specifications
Tuna With an Identity The BISKAMAR Guarantee for Product Integrity The BISKAMAR fleet catches tuna one-by-one, which provides the basis for its unique product identity and traceability scheme. Every individual tuna is identified according to the corresponding vessel and the day of capture, which is provided to the costumers by a BISKAMAR tracking code. Capture Method: Pole & Line or Trolling Species Name Capture Area: Cantabrian Sea, ICES Sub-Areas VIII or IX (FAO 27) Landing Port: Hondarribia, Getaria, Pasaia, Donostia or Mutriku Tracking Code XX YYYY ZZZZ: XX: Vessel Identification Number YYYY: Day of Landing ZZZZ: Batch Number
Creating Partnerships - Engagement With Market Actors New Business Opportunities for Seafood Buyers The BISKAMAR programme is designed for European seafood importers, retailers and food service companies who are seeking direct access to a reliable source of selectively and responsibly caught albacore tuna. BISKAMAR s services include all aspects of quality assurance and supply chain management. By creating trustful partnerships with committed market actors, the BISKAMAR fishery stakeholders strive to maintain a sustainable albacore tuna fishery in the Cantabrian Sea for future generations. For more information about becoming involved with BISKAMAR, please contact us! Phone: +41 43 333 13 53 E-Mail: info@biskamar.com www.biskamar.com
BISKAMAR is a strategic b-to-b sourcing programme for selectively and responsibly caught albacore tuna (Thunnus alalunga) from the Gipuzkoa province in the Basque Country of Spain. BISKAMAR is a registered trademark of the Gipuzkoa s Small Scale Fish Producers Organization (OPEGUI) and Blueyou Consulting Ltd. in Switzerland. All rights reserved San Sebastian and Zurich, April 2012