Documentary On Tuna Fishers’ Lives Wins Spanish Award

OPAGAC’s documentary, ‘1,17’ which portrayed the hardships of tuna fishers, recently won an award in the ‘Communication’ category of the Spanish Fisheries Ministry-organized ‘Extraordinary Foods of Spain Award 2026.’ The jury highlighted that “the documentary offers a comprehensive and rigorous view of a little-known sector, deep-sea tuna fishing, and also provides an excellent socio-economic overview of a particularly demanding and challenging activity.” They also emphasized the technical and narrative quality of the report, with its solid script and meticulous cinematography, according to a Ministry statement.

‘1,17,’ which premiered in Madrid in 2024, showed the challenges faced by fishers by highlighting the lives of the 31-member crew that belonged to the Spanish purse seiner ‘Itsas Txori’. The documentary also aimed to promote employment opportunities on tuna vessels among the youth.