Spanish company R de Lorenzo Cordelería, which makes ropes for mussel raft farming from recycled tuna nets, recently announced that it has expanded its work. The firm bought new machinery and acquired a warehouse from EUR 176,552 (USD 192,470) in funds allotted by the Xunta de Galicia and some fisheries groups. One of its main projects involves the making of 100 percent biodegradable cotton ropes for mussel raft farming, an aquaculture practice that involves growing mussels in shallow coastal waters by suspending ropes (with young mussels attached) from floating rafts, allowing them to mature and be harvested. The company is working with Spanish tuna vessels to acquire the nets for this project.

The initiative aims to contribute to environmental conservation and improve the management of waste derived from fishing activities, as reported by Spanish news sites. Some of the other products made by R de Lorenzo Cordelería are mussel farming nets, mooring ropes and lines, and buoys and floats.

The Spanish Fisheries Ministry allotted 6,783 tons of bluefin to 819 national-flagged vessels in 2025, including the Almadrabas. The information was published in the Official State Gazette last week.

A majority of the quota is distributed to the Cantabrian, Mediterranean, and Strait of Gibraltar fleets which comprise longliners, handliners, and purse seiners. A total of 5,911.98 (87 percent) was allotted to these vessels, including those in the Almadrabas. Another 793.6 tons (11.69 percent) is for artisanal and other small boats based in the Canary Islands and the Strait of Gibraltar. The remaining quota was designated for bycatch by longliners and trollers, and for recreational fishing. A statement from the Fisheries Ministry reads that this quota will be reviewed at the annual meeting to be held in Seville next November. The Spanish Fisheries Ministry recently announced the yellowfin and bigeye quota for its vessels fishing in the Indian Ocean.

The Italian police recently confiscated 250 kg of cocaine that was transported in a container with canned tuna from Ecuador. The drugs were hidden in five bags containing a total of 200 blocks. Guardia di Finanza, the Italian police force that focuses on financial crimes and domestic security, seized the illegal items, worth EUR 40 million to 50 million, from a vessel in the Port of Genoa. The raid is part of a broader plan to strengthen customs controls, aimed at combating drug trafficking and protecting public safety, reported Italian news sites.

In recent years, smugglers have been sending drugs in shipments with tuna cans and fruits from Ecuador to different parts of the world. The South American nation’s tuna industry considers this as one of the major menaces affecting its business.