Optuna 42 brings together the tuna fleet of Lanzarote and functions as a cooperative, the profits from what they fish are divided equally among the tuna fishermen. Of the 800 tons that are caught per year, Optuna reserves a part for individuals, who can visit its facilities from Monday to Friday between 11:00 and 13:00 on Avenida de Naos, 19, in Arrecife.
In an interview with Ekonomus, the association's manager, Andrés Cedrés, explains how and where they fish, as well as the difficulties they face in finding workers. He also expresses his concern that the EU Fisheries Agreement with Morocco, which among other things facilitates the hiring of Moroccan sailors, ends on July 17 and there is no new agreement in sight.

- How many tons of tuna does Optuna fish per year and how are the profits distributed?
We fish approximately 800 tons per year. The fishing quota defines that there are 2,150 tons for the Canary Islands fleet, which is made up of 35 pole-and-line tuna vessels (6 in Lanzarote). Then there are small fleets that also fish some tuna, but they have a very specific quota.
"If one caught 100 tons and another 200 tons, we distribute it so that everyone comes out the same"
Optuna is an association in which many fishermen are federated. It brings together the 6 large tuna vessels on the island and also some small boats that work for us. What we do is work in a group, and within the organization itself, we created a civil community, where we all work for everyone. If one caught 100 tons and the other 200 tons, we distribute it, so that everyone comes out the same, that is, it works like a cooperative.
- Are there job opportunities for young people in the fishing sector?
There is a lot of staff missing, nobody wants to work at sea. The Fishing School is full of students studying to be a captain or engineer. They come out to do internships with us, maybe a month or less, whatever they want, but then when it comes to looking for crews to work at sea, you don't get anything. Last year was hell, boats were leaving with seven people when there should be 12 or 13 sailors.
"Each boat will take on three Moroccan sailors in El Aaiún. If the agreement is not renewed, they will have to leave it"
- Is the Lanzarote Fishing School not useful for training workers?
They study at the school, take the necessary courses, some study machinery, others bridge... and then they have to do navigation, because if not, the degrees they have obtained are useless. This fleet is being saved a little because some of the skippers are shareholder owners who could already be retired, but they have re-registered and are working because they cannot get any professionals. There are many professionals, the Fishing School is full, but then nobody wants to board.
"The agreement with Morocco ends on July 17 and I don't know if they are willing to sign another agreement"
- What should be done to make more workers available?
We would have to look for people, but you can't find them because they don't even come to the docks, people don't want to board. We have escaped because we have a license with Morocco since the last agreement was signed in 2019. But from what I have read, the European Union's fisheries agreement with Morocco ends on July 17 and I don't know if they are willing to sign another agreement. (The renewal is complicated because the agreement was suspended by the European Court for covering waters of Western Sahara).
For the moment, each boat of the cooperative will take on three Moroccan sailors in the port of El Aaiún and then if the agreement is not renewed they will have to leave it. In the north of Spain, what they are hiring the most to board are Indonesians, both qualified and sailors.
- What would you say to a young person from Lanzarote who is thinking of dedicating themselves to fishing, how can they do it?
Go to the fishermen's association, where we are also included, there they will tell you what you have to do. If they want to board because they like the sea, they have to take some courses. There are courses for sailors, for rescue, for first aid... they are simple. But people are not up for that, people don't want to work, but not only here, in all of Spain.
"You no longer go, as you used to, sailing to Mauritania"
- How have the working conditions of sailors changed compared to the past?
The conditions have improved a lot, the boats meet good conditions, they have good equipment, security... You don't go as you used to, sailing to Mauritania... Now it's another thing, we are only fishing tuna. When the boat has six, seven or eight days, it returns to land so that the fish arrives with quality and freshness, but people have no illusion of boarding. This island had many sailors, it was the island with the most sailors.
- And is this profession well paid?
It is well paid according to what you fish. We put a base salary of 1,000 euros that we pay monthly, we register them and then, at the end of the campaign, if we made more than what was advanced every month, we distribute it among everyone. This year they received an additional 2,300 euros after eight and a half months of the campaign. (With both data, the monthly salary would be 1270.5 euros).
- Where do Optuna's tuna vessels fish?
We tuna fishermen travel a lot of sea, we have an agreement with Madeira, to fish at 12 miles. We have reached the Azores, but there it has to be at 100 miles because we have no agreement. We have also gone to a bank 600 miles west of La Palma.
Sometimes you manage to find a spot of tuna or skipjack, you start fishing and fishing, you stop, and then you move like a shepherd with a herd of goats. The fish are gathering and it is said, what is there, a party? And so the spot gets bigger. This year we were lucky enough to hold the spot until the month of November and we closed this year better than the previous ones. Other times you have to be in constant movement. For example, the northern bonito is a fish that is always walking.
- How does your retail sale to individuals work?
We make tuna loin, we vacuum pack it, and we freeze it to minus 40 degrees to preserve the quality, it freezes in 4 hours. And we open for individuals two or three hours from Monday to Friday until 13:00.