The Barba Group has positioned itself as a major player in responsible fishing, recognizing the crucial importance of protecting marine resources for the future. As a family-run business with decades of experience, we are keenly aware of the environmental and social challenges facing the fishing industry. We are committed to adopting sustainable practices to preserve the biodiversity of marine products while ensuring the long-term future of our business.
We, Groupe Barba, a family business specializing in the import and processing of seafood products, have a history that spans five generations. Today, managed by Hervé and Benoît Barba, we have established ourselves as the French market leader for responsibly caught tuna, swordfish and cephalopods.
This leadership position is based on recognized expertise and a long-standing commitment to sustainability.
Our long-term objectives
Our main objective is to develop a responsible and sustainable business, taking into account the impact of our activity on the environment, society and the economy. To achieve this goal, we have put in place a number of initiatives, including the installation of four photovoltaic production plants, one of which is self-consuming, and projects to reuse wastewater and rainwater.
Sustainability is at the heart of our strategy. We adhere to various quality standards, including the MSC (Marine Stewardship Council) label, the Red Line Tuna label, and Pavillon France. These labels attest to our commitment to ethical fishing methods and respect for the marine ecosystem. In addition, we have created our own label, “Quality Ethic”, to guarantee the quality and ethics of our products.
We have made MSC certification a cornerstone of our commitment to product quality and sustainability. This blue label guarantees that our seafood comes from sustainable, environmentally-friendly fisheries. To obtain this certification, partner fisheries were assessed according to strict criteria, including 28 indicators divided into three fundamental principles: sustainable fish stocks, reduced environmental impact and efficient management.
In addition to the MSC label, we are committed to other certification processes. We have signed a collective environmental charter in partnership with AREA Occitanie, marking an important step in the Barba Group's corporate social responsibility (CSR) approach. This initiative testifies to our ongoing commitment to sustainability in fishing and the protection of marine biodiversity.
The MSC certification process is rigorous and independent. Fisheries are assessed by external experts, and it can take years of work to improve a fishery before it is certified. Every year, monitoring reports are drawn up to verify progress, and fisheries are reassessed every five years. Certified fisheries must continually improve to achieve best practice in sustainability. If they fail to make the required improvements within a given timeframe, their certificate may be suspended until they reach the level of performance required by the MSC standard.
The Barba Group is resolutely committed to innovation in order to promote responsible fishing. This approach is part of a long-term vision to preserve marine resources while meeting growing food needs.
We invest in research and development to find innovative solutions. One outstanding example is our project to add value to tuna skin. After two years of R&D work in collaboration with a local tanner, we have become pioneers in the production of tuna leather. This innovation makes it possible to recycle a hitherto unexploited waste product, thus contributing to a circular economy and the reduction of waste.
In addition to the MSC label, we are committed to other certification processes. We have signed a collective environmental charter in partnership with AREA Occitanie, marking an important step in the Barba Group's corporate social responsibility (CSR) approach. This initiative testifies to our ongoing commitment to sustainability in fishing and the protection of marine biodiversity.
We work closely with marine research institutes to develop innovative projects. One notable example is the Holoprod project, carried out in partnership with Ifremer, Cepralmar and CRCM. This project aims to create a holothurian (sea cucumber) aquaculture industry in Occitanie. This initiative could have a positive impact on the environment by helping to clean up ponds, while also opening up new commercial prospects.
We place corporate social responsibility (CSR) at the heart of our strategy, demonstrating a strong commitment to sustainability in fishing and the well-being of our employees. This global approach integrates concrete actions in the social, economic, societal and environmental fields.
The development of our employees is a priority. We offer a wide range of training courses, both in-house and external, to develop our staff's skills and know-how. These courses cover a wide range of areas, including health and safety, support functions and management. We ensure that the missions entrusted to our employees correspond to their ambitions, personality and potential, thus fostering their professional development.
We are actively involved with non-governmental organizations (NGOs) working to protect the environment. Since 2019, the Barba Group has been working closely with Project Rescue Ocean, a UNESCO-accredited association that raises public awareness, particularly among young people, of the state of the marine environment. This partnership translates into concrete actions such as the participation of our teams in pollution clean-up operations and financial support to enable the association to carry out its activities throughout the year.
We are actively involved in ocean preservation through various initiatives. As a partner of the Project Rescue Ocean Foundation, the Barba Group takes part in actions to raise awareness and clean up rivers, seas and oceans. What's more, we were recognized as the first winner of WeClean's Eco-citizen Company trophy, with a commitment rate of 60% of all our employees. This distinction underlines the involvement of our staff and management in our CSR strategy, demonstrating a real commitment to sustainable practices and the protection of the marine environment.
The Barba Group leads the way in responsible, sustainable fishing, with a focus on innovation and social commitment. Our global approach, from obtaining prestigious certifications to implementing cutting-edge technologies, has a positive impact on the marine environment. We don't just talk about sustainability, we put it into practice every day.
