Santa Catarina

Heir of an old cannery tradition of the São Jorge Island, Atún Santa Catarina’s factory brings to your table the best tuna prepared according to artisanal methods used by the old cannery masters.

Sustainability
The global trend towards the exploitation of tuna by large commercial fleets is countered in the Azores by a commitment to quality over quantity.

The tuna fish is caught on the Azorean sea, using the Pole and Line method (1 man, 1 fishing rod, 1 fishhook, 1 tuna fish) without any sort of predatory activity, being the only fishing method to be considered Dolphin Safe and environmentally sustainable. It is then manually laboured in Santa Catarina’s factory.

The classification “Dolphin Safe” and “Friend of the Sea”
As ecological recognition and appreciation, tuna fishing in the Azores, known as “Pole & Line” is certified since 1998 by the nongovernmental organization Earth Island Institute as “Dolphin Safe”, due to its lesser predatory characteristics, and since 2001 as “Friend of the sea”, the first tuna fishing method in the world to be awarded such certification.

“Pole & Line” fishing, a sustainable method.
As it is an artisanal method, the “Pole & Line” fishing requires all the experience of São Jorge Island’s fishermen. They begin by detecting the presence of tuna through binoculars. Then, they make their approach, turn off the engines and turn on the showers that simulate the escape of small fish, from which the tuna feeds, which hides the fishermen from their field of vision. After, they throw the bait overboard to attract the school and start the fishing activities. It is an example that allows fishermen to catch only enough fish without endangering other species or smaller fish. Unlike what happens in trawling practiced by large commercial fleets, the centenary arts of “Pole & Line”, practiced by the tuna boats of the region, are considered environmentally friendly, because they allow the fisherman to choose the fish and thus preventing unnecessary catches.

Atún Santa Catarina

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