Our fisheries
Tropical Tuna
Yellowfin tuna and Skipjack
2005
Launch of Tuna Fishing Operations
The warm waters of the Indian Ocean are home to abundant marine resources.
Among them, yellowfin tuna is prized for its exceptional quality, while skipjack tuna is highly valued in cuisine for its freshness and tender flesh.
Departing from the Seychelles, our French-flagged purse seiners embark on long offshore fishing expeditions.
A fishery requires experience, precision, and strategy, each campaign lasts approximately 70 days.
To ensure compliance with the best fishing practices, an independent observer is present on each vessel.
Fleet
3 Tuna seiners
French flag
Fishing area
Northern Indian Ocean
Tide
5 trips per year
Each lasting 10 weeks
Certification
Skipjack tuna | MSC certified
Sustainable fishing since 2024
Fresher than fresh
Our fishing techniques combined with our ultra-low temperature freezing process (-40°C) on board SAPMER vessels result in a uniquely fresh product.
Experience the purest flavor of a fish that is frozen immediately after being caught, preserving its tender texture and vibrant pink color.
Smaller than its yellowfin cousin, but more abundant in the Indian Ocean, skipjack tuna is distinguished by its deep red hue and unmatched freshness.
These qualities are maintained thanks to SAPMER’s advanced onboard processing techniques.
Our fleet
3 Tuna seiners
Length : 90 m
Crew
Approximately 33 sailors per vessel
Fishing area
Warm waters of the northern Indian Ocean
Bernica
Dolomieu
Franche Terre
Fishing methods
Seining
Once the tuna has been detected, our vessels approach using sonar. If the species is skipjack or yellowfin, our sailors begin the capture process.
When the purse seiner is in position, a skiff is deployed from a stern ramp to serve as a floating anchoring point, allowing the crew to encircle the tuna with the purse seine net.
The fish are then carefully retrieved using a large dip net (salabarde), with a limited capacity to preserve product quality and avoid unnecessary stress to the fish.
Each of our purse seiners, with a capacity of 1,000 tons, performs onboard dry freezing at -40°C, ensuring optimal preservation of the fish’s taste and texture.
Use of FADs
The use of Fish Aggregating Devices (FADs) strictly adheres to regulations set by our producer organization (ORTHONGEL), the International Seafood Sustainability Foundation (ISSF) and the Indian Ocean Tuna Commission (IOTC).
SAPMER has implemented internal FAD management policy.
Additionally, in 2020, SAPMER renewed its Friend of the Sea “FAD-Free” certification, originally obtained in 2016, ensuring full traceability of free-school tuna catches.
Yellowfin tuna
A pelagic species (living between the surface and the bottom of the water column), highly migratory, with a massive torpedo-shaped body capable of swimming at high speeds with great power.
- Characteristics : Can reach 2.4 m in length and weigh up to 200 kg.
- Appearance : Recognizable by its yellow fin, dark metallic blue back, yellow flanks and silver belly.
- Reproduction : Year-round in tropical waters.
Skipjack
Skipjack
A pelagic fish living between the surface and mid-water depths, highly migratory.
- Characteristics : Relatively small tuna, their average size is 50cm, but they can grow up to 1m and weigh 25kg.
- Appearance : Spindle-shaped, oval, laterally compressed body, accompanied by a tapered head with distinctive belly stripes.
- Reproduction : Year-round in tropical waters.
By-catch
A marine resource to protect
Protecting the resource
Our objectives are to ensure the sustainability of tropical tuna stocks, reduce and enhance by-catch and protect marine ecosystems.
SAPMER holds several key sustainability certifications, including:
Friend of the Sea “Wild” & “FAD-Free” certifications
100% onboard observer coverage (Bureau Veritas)
Strict FAD (Fish Aggregating Device) management policies
Registration of its fleet in the ISSF ProActive Vessel Register (PVR ISSF)
Participation in additional sustainability programs (VOSI ISSF)
These measures ensure the long-term sustainability of marine resources and the preservation of ecosystems.
- Regulated Fishery under IOTC Guidelines
- Quotas are set based on stock assessments and recommendations from the Indian Ocean Tuna Commission (IOTC)
Certification
In 2024, SAPMER obtained MSC (Marine Stewardship Council) certification, recognizing the sustainability of the skipjack tuna fishing in the tropical waters of the Indian Ocean.
This certification guarantees: a sustainable stock management, ecosystem protection and an effective fishery governance.
Since 2011, SAPMER has also been a participant of the Dolphin Safe program run by the international organization Earth Island Institute. This label guarantees selective fishing practices that prevent harm to marine mammals.
