Our raw material comes from boats that practice responsible fishing; in addition to caring for and protecting our marine environments. We apply the most rigorous and demanding fishery protection standards when selecting the boats from whom we source our raw materials and perform extensive compliance audits of the fishing practices before any fish is allowed into our cold storages.
Sustainability
Environment
WASTE-FREE BEACHES
The sea is a huge source of resources and it is our duty, and everyone’s duty, to protect it. What better way to contribute to its sustainability than to have our employees cleaning the beaches, recycling and collecting regular waste? Since 2010, we have been programming activities to offset our environmental footprint, and we have now completed more than 14 beach cleanups in Costa Rica. We have also conducted three tree-planting events since 2015 in national areas.
WATER TREATMENT PLANT
We are committed to raising awareness of the protection of resources, and water is no exception. We have undertaken this task very seriously with effective environmentally sustainable practices that protect our rivers and oceans from waste. We have achieved this not only with our water treatment plant, which filters, processes and purifies up to 98% of the water we use for reuse in irrigating fields, but also in the production and saving of energy resources.
RAISING OUR FLAG FOR THE ENVIRONMENT
We have an ongoing commitment to continually improve our environmental indicators, and thanks to this we have been awarded the Ecological Blue Flag for four consecutive years. The Blue Flag program recognizes and encourages good environmental practices on the main consumption indicators: electricity, fuel, water, paper, refrigerants, waste management, staff training and community outreach activities.
Responsible Fishery
RESPONSIBLE SOURCES
To ensure our raw material comes from sources that respect closed seasons and other rules, we only buy our tuna from vessels registered with the Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission (IATTC). This supply network is the only fishery in the world with 100% onboard observers and divers who guarantee and certify that no species other than tuna are being caught.
RESPONSIBLE AND ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY FISHERY
Purse-seine fishing is a method aimed at ocean sustainability. It is used for catching fish that customarily swim in dense schools or shoals, such as sardines and tuna. The method is environmentally friendly, since it helps preserve other ocean species such as dolphins and turtles by ensuring they’re not trapped in the net. We also purchase FAD-free and pole-and-line-caught fish. For more information on this method, click here.
FISHING ZONES
Fishing vessels have to cover great distances to keep up with fish swimming in schools or shoals. Tonnino receives whole tuna from many fisheries, including those of the eastern and western Pacific, Indian and Atlantic oceans. We process species such as yellowfin, skipjack, bigeye and albacore tuna.
Social Commitment
COMMITMENT TO EDUCATION
APS has a scholarship program to help youths with an outstanding academic performance in the hopes of laying the foundations for a promising future. We also donate books and help maintain the infrastructure of schools. To date, we have visited more than 227 schools in the Puntarenas area, delivering 110,000 books and donating more than 180,000 cans of tuna in one year alone.
INNER STRENGTH
Many of our employees do not have their own homes when they retire. We are working to improve this reality by giving a dignified roof and better quality of life to those who have dedicated their working life to us. Other significant company benefits include: subsidized balanced meal in the company cafeteria; the solidarity association, which manages the diner service, generating additional jobs and greater well-being for all associates; occupational health and emergency care brigades to protect everyone’s physical integrity; and preventive health campaigns and medical checkups and exams.
DONATIONS
APS has an ongoing policy of donating truckloads of canned tuna (96,000 cans) immediately after every weather emergency in Central America. Our extensive distribution network enables us to delivery the product to the most affected areas extremely fast ensuring a healthy, shelf-stable and practical source of nourishment for those in need. We hace made these donations after all the most powerful hurricanes in the Caribbean and Pacific coastlines, including Mitch, Otto, Nate and Iota, as well as after earthquakes an other natural disasters.
Certifications
Our work has been recognized and evaluated by different entities at national and international level, who have certified us thanks to our responsible and sustainable practices over time for the protection of the environment, human health, that of our collaborators and social benefit, which has allowed us to export Tonnino to the rest of the world.