There are those who compare it to the Iberian pig because everything is used from it. There are those who call it red gold, because of its color and because its weight is well worth it. Due to its strategic location, there is a ‘mine’ on the Cádiz coast and, as such, there are many who exploit it. But when we talk about bluefin tuna, it’s not so much the what – what too – but the how. Fish it in an artisanal way, with the almadraba method. An artisanal process that is more than 3,000 years old.
Wild almadraba bluefin tuna is considered an authentic delicacy and hallmark of Tarifa, where the JC Mackintosh fishery is based. They are relatively ‘new’ (the company was created in 2015), but those in charge know the sea well, accumulating hours and hours of fishing. First sports, then professional. So much time at their mercy awakened in them a vocation that has led them to be recognized as SME of the Year for the province of Cádiz by Banco Santander in 2022.
“In the end we have made our hobby our profession,” shares Daniel Mackintosh, skipper and bluefin tuna fisherman since 2016, when he and his father decided to invest in a professional, but lifelong fishing boat. His story could stop there, but it runs through other currents. Or, rather, against the current. “One of the things that differentiates us in the sector is that we only work on demand. “I don’t overfish, I only catch what I have sold,” Daniel makes clear.
JC Mackintosh is the quintessence of sustainability, articulated to not overexploit a resource – bluefin tuna – that they know is scarce and, as such, must be protected. Their way of doing it is simple, but demanding: quality over quantity. They only fish on demand and with a different fishing process. “What we do is one man, one hook, one tuna,” explains Daniel. They are called Mackintosh’s five steps and they are implemented on board, one by one and by hand.
They practice a stress-free catch for tuna, with slaughter according to the Ikejime technique. It is applied as soon as the fish leaves the water so, unlike other widely used slaughter methods, it causes very little suffering to the fish. “Then it is bled with salt water hoses that come directly from the sea and we proceed to evisceration,” describes Daniel. “The meat does not tighten, as it does not have blood it does not smell, and with that we get the best tuna in the world,” he concludes.
His father – and founder of the fishery – is Juan Carlos Mackintosh, the brand’s JC. He knows the sea as well as the challenges of starting a business without the wind in your favor. This is where Banco Santander comes in. For Juan Carlos, the entity’s commitment to his way of understanding fishing and business was “everything.” “Because without his support, without his financing, without his commitment to our projects, we would not have carried it out,” he values.
Being an SME in these times is difficult. Being fishing at sea, opting to eliminate ‘more is more’ from the equation, guided by quality and low demand as the only compass, has led them to obtain the MSC Sustainability Certificate, a scientific indicator of sustainable fishing. JC Mackintosh is the first bluefin tuna fishery in Spain to obtain the seal, the third in the world and the first in Andalusia for any marine species.
There are many countries (such as Australia, Japan or the United States) and chefs who only trust this seal. To obtain this, MSC independently assesses the specific impact of each fishery on wild fish populations, ecosystems, as well as their future. “We think that not everything is worth it. It’s not worth going out to sea and fishing as much as we can, no. Our philosophy has always been – and I hope my son continues – that quality comes before quantity,” recalls Juan Carlos.
The veteran of the Mackintosh clan (there is also Adrián Mackintosh, master of the Ikekime technique) adds another hallmark: the preservation of the environment. “That wealth that we have in the Strait of Gibraltar,” he insists. A commitment to caring for nature that has been recognized by Banco Santander in the latest edition of the SME Awards that it organizes together with the Chamber of Commerce and that led it to be chosen as SME of the Year in the province of Cádiz last year. .
A recognition that is the culmination of a support that has lasted for years, and that illustrates the entity’s commitment to a group, that of small and medium-sized companies, which makes up 99% of the Spanish business fabric and is the main job creator. . For years, Santander has been promoting specific financing and advisory, internationalization and digitalization programs to support the day-to-day life of the 4 million SMEs it has as clients.
As a reward for all this work, Banco Santander has been recognized as Best Bank for SMEs in Western Europe in the Euromoney 2023 “Awards for Excellence”.
