Working in the preserve-making sector means having a direct, constant relationship with the sea, and that relationship carries a responsibility we cannot ignore. Sustainable fishing is increasingly a necessary condition for companies like ours to keep making preserves decades from now, not a secondary option behind other business priorities. In this article we explain what we mean by sustainable fishing, why it matters so much for the preserve-making sector, and how this commitment plays out in our day-to-day work.
What sustainable fishing is and why it matters
Sustainable fishing is fishing that allows fish and shellfish to be caught without compromising the ability of marine populations to regenerate, respecting the biological cycles of each species and the limits set by science and fishing regulations. It isn’t just about protecting the environment as an ethical matter — it’s about ensuring there will be quality raw material in the future to keep making preserves like the ones we make today.
For a Galician preserve maker, the sea isn’t just another supplier: it’s the source of almost everything we make. That’s why the sustainable management of marine resources is part of our duty as a company, beyond any specific regulatory requirement. This responsibility also extends to how we relate to suppliers and to the fishing communities we depend on for quality raw material.
How sustainable fishing works in practice
Broadly speaking, sustainable fishing rests on several principles that aim to protect marine biodiversity and ensure the continuity of fishing activity in the long term. These principles are common across the sector and underpin much of the good practice required today of any company working with marine resources.
- Respecting closed seasons and the breeding periods of each species.
- Using selective fishing gear that minimises unwanted catches.
- Complying with current fishing quotas and regulations.
- Collaborating with local fishing communities in the area.
Our commitment to caring for the oceans, detailed on our sustainability page, stems precisely from this idea: most of our raw material comes from the sea, and it’s our duty to look after it through responsible resource management that protects its biodiversity.
The connection with local communities
Sustainable fishing cannot be understood without the people and communities that depend on it. In Galicia, the fishing and preserve-making sector has provided work and livelihoods to entire regions for generations, and maintaining that connection is an essential part of a genuinely sustainable model. Caring for the sea also means caring for those who have built their lives around it.
This way of understanding the business has deep roots in our own history as a preserve maker, which you can learn about in the history of Conservas Rías Baixas, from our origins in Cangas do Morrazo to today’s factory in Moaña. Respect for the environment has accompanied the company since its earliest years.
What you can do as a consumer
Consumers also have a part to play in this balance. Choosing seasonal products, finding out about the origin of the fish or shellfish you buy, and supporting brands that are transparent about their commitment to sustainable fishing are simple gestures that, together, have a real effect on how the sector evolves. End-consumer demand eventually influences, sooner or later, the practices that become widespread across the whole supply chain.
It isn’t about giving up fish and shellfish, but about doing so in an informed way, supporting production models that look after the resource we all depend on, directly or indirectly. A preserve made under sustainable fishing criteria is, in that sense, a simple way to take part in that change without any extra effort for whoever consumes it.
Our responsibility as a Galician preserve maker
Whether we are still able to make quality preserves in thirty or fifty years largely depends on the decisions we make today around sustainable fishing. It’s a responsibility shared between companies, authorities and fishing communities, and at Conservas Rías Baixas we take our part just as seriously as we take every stage of our production process.
If you want to see the result of this commitment, discover our selection of preserves in our online shop. Every can we make is also a way of supporting a more responsible relationship with the sea.
If you’d like to know more about how we understand sustainable fishing or about the origin of our raw materials, you can write to us through our contact page. Speaking openly about these matters is part of how we understand our relationship with our customers and with the environment we depend on.
