Fish arrives directly from the port, is cleaned in brine, sorted by weight, packaged, and filleted, ready for direct shipment to shopping centers, fishmongers, or school kitchens. This is the process that will be carried out at Kofradia Basque Seafood (KBS), a strategic initiative promoted by the Basque Government's Department of Food, Rural Development, Agriculture and Fisheries and the inshore fishing sector of Gipuzkoa and Bizkaia, aiming to reinforce the position of Basque fish and strengthen its entire value chain, from origin to processing and commercialization.
This innovative project was launched this morning in the Gardotza industrial park in Berriatua, with a shared vision: to consolidate a model that generates more added value in Euskadi, strengthens sea-related activities, and improves the position of the Basque fishing sector amidst changing markets and consumption habits. A key value of the project is its stronger connection between the fleet, industry, and market, fostering a model with greater processing capacity, enhanced product control, and increased returns for ports and the fishing-related production network.
“"Kofradia Basque Seafood is a shared commitment to give more strength to the sector and to place Basque fish in a position of greater value, more future, and greater transformation capacity."
Councillor Amaia Barredo also emphasized that the project aligns the fleet, industry, and market under a single strategy, reinforcing increasingly important elements for the sector and citizens, such as quality, food safety, traceability, and resource control. KBS starts with an initial investment of nearly 3 million euros, a forecast of 25 direct jobs in its initial phase, and an industrial structure supported by three plants located in Berriatua, Getaria, and Bermeo.
“"We are facing a change of model: we move from participating in the chain to having a transversal role in each of its stages. The integration of capture, transformation, and commercialization allows us to offer a product with total guarantees of quality, traceability, and sustainability, under a complete vision of the entire process. We are at a time when we must reinvent ourselves and adapt to new market needs."
The new company also commits to transformation and added value, with the capacity to develop new formats and solutions adapted to current market demands, as well as advanced conservation and processing technologies, including individual quick freezing (IQF), which preserves product quality and enhances its year-round availability. The project also connects with a shared objective of the Department and the sector: to facilitate fish consumption, especially among new generations, through formats and solutions adapted to current habits, without compromising quality, safety, or the link to the product's origin.
To achieve this ambitious operation, KBS boasts an infrastructure of approximately 8,000 m² distributed across three strategic plants: Berriatua (4,500 m²), which will serve as the central plant for fish transformation and the development of 4th and 5th range solutions; Getaria (1,200 m²), the nerve center for processing Bonito del Norte and anchovies; and Bermeo (2,500 m²), dedicated entirely to freezing processes using IQF technology, making it one of only two plants nationwide with this advanced capability.
