First Bluefin Tuna Farm Approved off Pilar de la Horadada

The Valencian Government has approved the construction of Spain's first large-scale bluefin tuna fattening farm off the coast of Pilar de la Horadada. Originally approved in 2021 for sea bream and sea bass, the project has been reauthorized for Atlantic bluefin tuna by the regional Fisheries Department. Operated by Piscifactorías del Mediterráneo, a subsidiary of Spain's largest bluefin tuna business, Ricardo Fuentes Group, the farm will span 45 hectares of public maritime waters, six kilometers from the coast and 4.4 nautical miles from San Pedro del Pinatar fishing port.

The revised design features ten larger cages, each measuring 50 meters in diameter, with a maximum production capacity of 2,550 tonnes of bluefin tuna annually. Tuna are caught alive during their Mediterranean migration, transported to the farm, and kept in floating cages for several months before being weighed and fattened before export to Japan, where they command a price of around €15 per kilogram.

The company, with a €260 million annual turnover and 900 employees, has extensive experience in tuna farming and operates farms in Cartagena, San Pedro del Pinatar, Malta, and Tunisia, as well as traditional tuna-trap fishing in Spain, Morocco, and Portugal. Environmental restrictions limit cage placement to avoid sensitive areas, and the company must adhere to various regulations, including marine protection policies and Natura 2000 requirements.

While construction has not yet begun, the approval marks the Valencian Community's first major open-sea bluefin tuna fattening farm, establishing a presence in southern Alicante waters.