To promote bluefin tuna: supply chain agreements, fattening farms and more checks

At present, there are no bluefin tuna fattening farms operating in Italia, but two groups affiliated with Coldiretti Pesca are investing in the development of this stage of the supply chain. The projects envisage an innovative model focused primarily on stock maintenance, with the aim of ensuring year-round product availability and integrating fishing, environmental monitoring and tourism.

The initiative also aims to develop integrated supply chains for fish that has been landed but not fattened. In this context, investment support measures take on particular importance, such as calls for proposals dedicated to the development of trade agreements and the introduction of incentive schemes for young entrepreneurs and for initiatives that promote a direct link between production, processing and marketing.

The bluefin tuna market is characterised by sharp price fluctuations, which are putting pressure on companies’ profitability. According to reports from industry operators, in some cases the product is even being sold at prices that are less than half those of recent years (around 3–4 euros per kilo).

Another key issue is the challenges posed by international competition and the monitoring of catches. For this reason, Coldiretti Pesca proposes the use of stereo cameras (which enable depth perception and the creation of a three-dimensional map, ed.) as early as the stage when tuna are transferred from the nets to the cages, to measure the number, size and weight of the fish more accurately and monitor subsequent growth during fattening.

The aim is to ensure transparency and a level playing field amongst operators in the Mediterranean, whilst protecting businesses that comply with the rules. Also under discussion is the management of catches by longliners. As has already been demonstrated in other European countries, the health of fish stocks is not necessarily linked to the size of the fish caught. For this reason, Coldiretti Pesca is carrying out a three-year scientific study aimed at evaluating a different approach to managing this resource.

In the draft budget for 2027, provision is made for the first time to stabilise funding for CISOA (wage supplementation scheme, ed.) and for the renewal of the fishing fleet, ‘two measures that, as an organisation, we had strongly called for and which we have managed to secure,’ states Coldiretti’s president, Ettore Prandini. These are significant achievements, representing a step forward in providing greater certainty for businesses and supporting investment, but we must now definitively move beyond the ‘emergency’ mindset and build a long-term strategy for Italian fisheries, focusing on innovation, competitiveness and clear rules. We cannot continue to fish for a precious resource such as bluefin tuna and allow much of the added value to end up abroad. We must develop a stronger Italian supply chain, starting with the establishment of tuna farms, so as to retain a greater share of the wealth generated within our country, ensuring higher incomes for fishermen, new jobs and a future for our coastal communities’.

“The challenge,” adds Daniela Borriello, head of Coldiretti Pesca, “is to put Italian fishermen in a position to compete on a level playing field with other operators in the Mediterranean. We cannot have rules and controls that penalise those who invest and comply with the regulations. We are calling for greater transparency regarding catches, more effective technological tools and quota management based on up-to-date scientific data. But above all, we want fishermen to take centre stage throughout the entire supply chain, from catch to marketing, because the value of bluefin tuna must translate into income for our businesses and not just into profits for those operating downstream of production.”