Fish Tales Filler Image
Brand

Fish Tales

Netherlands
9
Years of IPNLF Membership

Fish Tales is a Netherlands-based company that offers fish caught sustainably in long-term collaborations with fisheries. Fish Tales believes that the only way to really enjoy good fish is if the fish has been caught by people that care about their catch and the sea they took it from. Such fishers treat the oceans with great respect and consider the sea as a source of life. Fish Tales goes beyond the lines and nets. Fish Tales tells the stories of these men, women, villages and oceans that are behind the fish we eat and is dedicated to their ultimate long-term survival. 

Therefore, Fish Tales offers complete transparency and connects its customers directly with its fisheries. It is the only brand worldwide that commits itself to an intensive and long-term collaboration with its fishers – "We know them personally and they know us". Fish Tales offers beautiful fish from the best fisheries, because the most delicious fish comes directly from the source.

This sustainably caught fish is of course the perfect start to a delicious meal.

Click here to check out all the fisheries Fish Tales works with

Products sold by Fish Tales

Fish Tales catches their seafood "with respect to nature". Their products come from small fishing communities around the world and all tuna products are 100% pole-and-line caught: respecting fishers, respecting fish, and respecting the ocean. 

Fish Tales uses albacore and skipjack tuna in their products, which are processed into cans. Both species are sold in cans in either spring water, olive oil or sunflower oil, but skipjack is also sold with a hint of lemon, or smokey flavourings - and all are equally delicious! 

Our tuna products are sold in The Netherlands, Belgium and Germany, and also in the United States, under the brand name Sea Tales.

At A Glance

Fish Tales Foundation Sustainable projects that last

In 2018, we launched the Fish Tales Foundation. The aim of the foundation is to contribute to small-scale fisheries and fish farms to help make them more sustainable. We want to ensure the oceans remain a healthy source of food and income for all the people who depend on fishing: the fishers, the fishing communities, and their families. The Fish Tales Foundation is committed to keeping our ocean healthy worldwide. Besides the marine ecological aspect, we also take responsibility for fair working conditions throughout the supply chain.

We do so by teaming up with regional and international partners to support and give guidance to the fishing communities on how to operate more sustainably and to improve labour conditions and health and safety of all involved in the production of the fish products. By supporting these fisheries and fish farms to meet the conditions of international recognised sustainable certificates like MSC and ASC we simultaneously give them the opportunity to gain access to new markets.

Read more about our ongoing project in the blog below.

Making cooking with fish fun and accessible! Fish Tales is an inspiration platform

Fish Tales founder, Bart van Olphen's, is a seafood chef. During his search for sustainable fisheries he learned about the seafood cuisine from all over the world. In the many cookbooks he made he shares his passion for seafood.

The seafood industry is endlessly fascinating. By sharing delicious seafood recipes, Fish Tales wants to show the world that cooking with seafood is fun and accessible. Furthermore, sharing stories and helping to make the oceans healthy again gives the Fish Tales team great joy. 

"We work worldwide with local fishing companies who live and fish in true harmony with nature. We put the fishers at the helm and make it super beneficial for all involved: by using sustainable ways to catch seafood we contribute to healthy oceans for our future and make sure that small fishing communities can work and exist. This way everyone can enjoy seriously tasty seafood with a good tale – fully transparent, from catch to kitchen."

Bart van Olphen - Founder Fish Tales

Our Fisheries

Maandhoo pole-and-line skipjack tuna

Indian Ocean
The Maandhoo fishery is Horizon Fisheries Fairtrade certified and operates in Laamu Atoll, in the Maldives. This fishery forms a subset of the main pole and line fishery.
Maldives
Skipjack Tuna
Find out more

North Atlantic pole-and-line and troll albacore tuna

Atlantic Ocean
This fishery was established by the Spanish and French in the Bay of Biscay at the end of WWII. The original fishery operates in the summer months as this suits the migration patterns of the albacore tuna in the Atlantic. In 1970, the fishery expanded to operate off Morocco to cover the autumn months when the albacore tuna seek warmer waters.
Spain
Albacore Tuna
Find out more

AAFA North Pacific pole-and-line and troll albacore

Pacific Ocean
The American Albacore Fishery Association operates off the Western coast of the United States and has two subset fisheries: North and South. In the North, pole-and-line and trolling fisheries are the two methods of one-by-one fishing used to catch albacore tuna.
United States
Albacore Tuna
Find out more

Sengkanung Bitung Pole-and-Line Fair Trade

Pacific Ocean
The Sengkanung Bitung fishery is the first pole-and-line tuna fishery in Indonesia to receive the Fair Trade Fishers certification. This means that the fishery operates good and fair working conditions for both fishers and factory workers.
Indonesia
Skipjack Tuna
Find out more

AAFA South Pacific troll albacore

Pacific Ocean
The American Albacore Fishery Association has two subset fisheries: North and South Pacific, off the Western coast of the United States. The Southern fishery uses the troll method to hunt for albacore tuna, across the fishery.
United States
Albacore Tuna
Find out more

Company Policies and Reports

Fish Tales wants to contribute to sustainable small-scale fisheries and fish farms worldwide, to ensure the oceans remain a healthy source of food and income for all the people who depend on fishing as their livelihood: the fishers, fishing communities, and their families. Our motto therefore is: Happy Fishers & Healthy Oceans = Sustainable Seafood.

Pole-and-line

Fish Tales ensures that their tuna products are 100% pole-and-line caught. This is because gear matters and pole-and-line caught fish means reducing bycatch, overfishing and plastic pollution. 

"Besides the positive marine biological impact it also contributes to employment and better economies in developing countries, like the Maldives and Indonesia. It takes a lot of people-power to catch tuna by pole-and-line, which means more jobs for fishers! Look for pole-and-line or handline caught on the label when choosing your tuna and take comfort in knowing that it was fished from a sustainable source and that you are supporting small fishing communities."

Traceability 

Fish Tales works with a number of small scale fisheries across the world to ensure clear traceability from catch to kitchen. They pride themselves on putting fishers at the helm of their operations, ensuring the use of sustainable ways to catch seafood we contribute to healthy oceans for our future and ensure that small fishing communities can work and exist.

"Because when you know what you eat, your fish will taste even better."

Fisheries Improvement Toolbox (FIT) Engagement

FishTales is a brand that gives back to the communities that they source from. The year 2018 marked the launch of the Fish Tales Foundation, running various projects around the world that contribute to small-scale fisheries and fish farms to help make them more sustainable. They want to ensure that the oceans remain a healthy source of food and income for all the people who depend on fishing as their livelihood: the fishers, the fishing communities, and their families. The Fish Tales Foundation is committed to keeping oceans healthy worldwide.