Jealsa received an exceptional 75-year extension of its concession to operate in the port of Bodión in Boiro, Spain. This ensures that the company’s tuna processing plant can remain at the location until June 3, 2067, reported Spanish news sites. Jealsa applied for the extension within the framework of the Galician Ports Act, which was amended this year and allows for a maximum term of 75 years. The conditions for granting a concession are that a company must demonstrate its strategic importance and make an investment that is proportionate to the extension.

Jealsa has operated the tuna processing plant in Boiro since it was founded in 1958. It reported a one percent increase in its turnover in 2024. In that year, the company made a significant investment of over EUR 35 million in technological and process improvements, including a more efficient and sustainable logistics center in Bodión. An approximately EUR 17 million investment in its pet food unit was announced last April.

Ecuadorian tuna firm Nirsa has been placed at the 14th position in the Merco ‘Companies Ranking.’ María Eugenia Albán, Nirsa’s Human Talent Director, received the award on behalf of the company, given jointly by Merco, a corporate reputation business monitor, and Spanish news site El Universo. The 13th edition of the event was held on November 25. Albán stressed Nirsa’s various efforts and stated that sustainability is a principle that has guided the company since its inception, along with responsible management of resources. She added that taking care of employees “is part of the company’s DNA”.

Nirsa, headquartered in Posorja, is a vertically integrated company with a tuna fishing fleet and processing facility. It employs over 8,000 people and exports tuna and seafood products to 35 countries across the Americas, Europe, and Asia. It produces its canned tuna under the Real brand. The Merco rankings are based on a company’s overall corporate reputation, using a multi-stakeholder, independently audited methodology. Multiple indicators, including corporate governance, financial performance, sustainability metrics, employer attractiveness, and digital reputation, are looked into for evaluations.

Last week, the Mexican city of Mérida hosted the Fifth Latin American Summit on Fisheries and Aquaculture Sustainability. The event aimed to foster dialogue, action, and collaboration among key stakeholders in the fishing and aquaculture industries. More than 150 speakers and 500 participants from over 16 countries, including government representatives, fishing experts, and tuna industry stakeholders, attended the event that was held from December 3 to 5. The Eastern Pacific Ocean Tropical Tuna (TUNACONS) purse seine fishery was one of the participants at the summit.

TUNACONS Executive Director, Guillermo Morán Velásquez took part in a panel addressing the BBNJ Treaty (Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction) and the role of the fishing sector. He highlighted the importance of ensuring that any new measures in areas beyond national jurisdiction are grounded in robust science and are fully compatible with the regulations of the RFMOs, such as IATTC and WCPFC. The BBNJ Agreement, also known as the High Seas Treaty, was ratified in September and is set to take effect on January 17, 2026. The Global Seafood Alliance and MSC were some of the other participants at the event.