Hondarribia, Spain

Welcome to Hondarribia!

Oskar Etxebeste Larruskain

Pole and line, trollines
Partner since 2016
Hondarribia, Spain

Albacore tuna

- step 1 -A rainbow of fishermen’s boats

In the colorful town of Hondarribia, many fishermen have spent their entire lives in the tuna trade. One of them is Oskar. He’s one of 160 fishers from the region. Together with his crew, he heads out into the Bay of Biscay to catch the very best albacore tuna—one by one.

- step 2 -One by one

Oskar fishes with trolling lines. The rods are attached to the boat instead of being held by the fisherman. The rods have lines with hooks that hang in the water. When they start fishing, the boat begins to move, causing the hooks to be dragged through the water. The tuna's hunting instinct is triggered: they chase the hooks and bite. The fishermen onboard can tell when they've caught one and reel in the tuna one by one.

- step 3 -Culinary masterpiece

Tuna, especially white tuna, traditionally plays a key culinary role in the local cuisine of the Basque Country. It's also affectionately called 'bonito' and can be found in many restaurants. Fresh tuna is delicious, but canned tuna doesn't fall short in flavor!

Oskar Etxebeste Larruskain has been fishing for the finest albacore tuna for 30 years.

He’s one of the 160 albacore fishers in the region. Together with his crew of fifteen, he spends around 180 days a year at sea—mainly during the warmer months—chasing tuna. Like any true seaman, Oskar is deeply superstitious. “Before I head out, I always kiss my wedding ring—it brings me luck,” he says. His family is the biggest reason Oskar chooses to fish sustainably. But albacore isn’t the only fish he’s after. During anchovy season, Oskar also fishes for anchovies—just like Emilio!