In recent years, traceability has become an inescapable term when addressing sustainability. Having the capacity to trace back every step of a product’s journey is crucial to ensuring its sustainable origins. This is even more true in the seafood sector, where supply chains are particularly complex, and companies need reliable tools to ensure transparency.
In line with this development, Friend of the Sea, the leading certification program for products and services that preserve the marine environment, announced that Spanish seafood firm, Ricardo Fuentes e Hijos Comercializadora, has earned its certification honoring its efforts to implement sustainability throughout the entire production and distribution process.
Originally a family business established in the 1950s in the Spanish province of Murcia, Ricardo Fuentes e Hijos has since become a global firm famous for its cured fish and tuna products.
The Spanish company has developed a wide range of activities in the seafood sector, from fishing and aquaculture to commercializing and exporting fresh and frozen fish to international markets. Indeed, the company is the world’s largest exporter of Bluefin tuna, selling 15,000 tons a year of the highly coveted fish whose meat is considered a delicacy by chefs and consumers worldwide.
As the global seafood industry faces new challenges, particularly adopting sustainable practices, Ricardo Fuentes e Hijos has demonstrated its capacity to innovate and lead in this field. The company, which commercializes and distributes Friend of the Sea certified products, has made consistent efforts to ensure high levels of transparency and food safety.
“Our entire work process, from fishing until the product reaches the consumer, is certified, and endorsed. The Friend of the Sea certification allows us to go a step further, guaranteeing the entire chain of custody. Incorporating this certification consolidates our position, providing an added value for the consumer,” said a company’s spokesperson.
Ricardo Fuentes e Hijos Comercializadora has been certified as an establishment suited for storing, handling, and marketing Friend of the Sea products, mainly tuna (Thunnus albacares and Thunnus obesus), the company’s start product. Thus, the company can now display the sustainable eco-label logo on the raw materials, boxes of the final product, and commercial documents.
“Traceability is critical in the movement towards sustainability. The Friend of the Sea certification helps restore confidence as doubtful sustainability claims proliferate. For this reason, we congratulate Ricardo Fuentes e Hijos Comercializadora for leading the way in this field,” said Paolo Bray, Founder, and Director of Friend of the Sea.
About Friend of the Sea
Friend of the Sea, a World Sustainability Organization project, awards sustainable practices in Fisheries, Aquaculture, Fishmeal, and Omega-3 Fish Oil. In addition, the organization promotes projects related to restaurants, sustainable shipping, whale and dolphin-watching, aquaria, ornamental fish, UV creams, and others. It is the only sustainable fisheries and aquaculture certification program recognized and supervised globally by European National Accreditation Agencies.
