Our history
Leaders since 1960
2015
Creation of Nueva Pescanova Group
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The Nueva Pescanova Group was created in 2015 after a corporate restructuring of Pescanova S.A. The result was a new company that inherited the history and achievements of its predecessor, maintaining all its assets, material and human resources and that was relaunched as Nueva Pescanova, S.L. with an exciting project of continuous growth and innovation.
2016
- Creation of the Board of Directors and recruitment of the new CEO of the company.
- Implementation of the 2016-2020 Strategic Plan.
- Approval of the Ethical Code of the company.
2017
- Capital increase.
- 42.5-million-euro investment for the construction of new vessels for Namibia and Mozambique.
- Approval of the project to build the Pescanova Biomarine Center.
- Implementation of the LegoNova project and SAP with a budget of 9 million euros.
- Launching of new packs and products.
2018
- Capital increase from 15% to 45% in the Abad Overseas company with three shrimp processing plants in southeast India.
- Purchase of the Unickfish company in South Africa for retail sales.
- Relaunch of the icon Rodolfo Langostino with a new range of frozen and refrigerated prawns.
2019
- Delivery of the first vessel of the new fleet, the Lalandii 1, intended for hake fishing in Namibia.
- Closure, for the first time in history, of the octopus reproduction cycle in aquaculture by researchers from the Nueva Pescanova Group.
- Energy transition begins in the Group’s factories with the installation of the first solar photovoltaic plant in Namibia.
- Premiere of the documentary “The City Born from the Sea”, which gives visibility to the company’s CSR work through the development example of the city of Lüderitz (Namibia).
- The company is recognized as the world’s leading fishing company for its contribution to SDGs.
2020
- ABANCA becomes the Group’s majority shareholder.
- The Board of Directors is renewed and José María Benavent is appointed executive chairman.
- Delivery of the “Ponta Matirre”, “NovaNam One” and “NovaNam Two”, new vessels for the renewal of the fleet in Namibia and Mozambique.
- Adherence to the UN Principles for a Sustainable Ocean.
- Signing of the UN Business Leaders’ Declaration for Global Cooperation.
2021
- The Group approves a debt capitalisation of €542.2 million, extinguishing
inherited debt. - Delivery of the “Ponta Macalonga” and “Ponta Timbue”, new vessels for
shrimp fishing in Mozambique. - Closing of an agreement with Microsoft to advance aquaculture 4.0.
- Presentation of PeZcado Capital, the Group’s first virtual restaurant.
- Installation of a total of seven photovoltaic plants in Spain and Namibia.
- Collaboration with Repsol to incorporate a new energy management
system in aquaculture. - Joining the IBM Food Trust network to guarantee product traceability.
- Launch of “La Pasta del Mar” (Surimi Noodles) with chef Ángel León.
- The company takes a bet on e-commerce with the launch of an online shop.
- Nueva Pescanova consolidates its position in the Seafood Stewardship Index as the global fishing company that most contributes to a sustainable industry.
- Nueva Pescanova, ranked in the Top 40 food companies worldwide in terms of sustainability according to the Food and Agriculture Benchmark of the World Benchmarking Alliance (WBA).
- The Nueva Pescanova Group inaugurates the Pescanova Biomarine Center in O Grove (Pontevedra), an aquaculture R&D&I center.
2022
- The Group launches its first Sustainability-Linked Promissory Note Programme in the MARF, thus demonstrating its commitment to ensuring the social and environmental sustainability of all its activities.
- Adherence to the UN Women’s Empowerment Principles (WEPs).
- Two new solar farms were installed at the Valencia factories. This brings to nine the number of Group sites with photovoltaic solar energy installations.
- Launch of a new variety of Pasta del Mar: Cod Tagliatelle.
- Pescanova breaks new ground in the market by launching a pioneering new category in Europe: Norwegian salmon surimi.
- The Salmon Tagliatelle, a variety of La Pasta del Mar, is awarded Best Retail Product and Best Innovative Product at the prestigious Seafood Excellence Awards.
The great history of Pescanova
THE 60s
The start of a new era in the fishing industry.
Pescanova is created.
- Pescanova was created in 1960 in Vigo in the search of an answer to the following question: could fish be caught and transported from distant locations without being damaged in the long months of travel?
- In 1961 it built the “Lemos”, the WORLD’S FIRST FREEZER VESSEL, which started sailing the oceans and revolutionizing the global fishing industry.
- Within just a few months, Pescanova launched three new vessels: “Andrade”, “Pambre” and “Doncos”, to which they added “Soutomaior” and “Sobroso”. The freezer vessels made it possible to discover the best fishing grounds of the southern hemisphere. Their evolution fostered the greatest global development in the fishing industry.
- In 1963 two stern trawlers were built, the “Vimianzo” and the “Villalba”, the first Spanish vessels that fished over the stern, rather than over the side. A new revolution that increased Pescanova’s fishing capacity.
- Pescanova set up its headquarters in Chapela (Pontevedra) after buying the COPIBA company, which dried and stored cod and was turned into Cold Storage Facilities and Processing Areas, where non-frozen hake fillets were packaged in plastic bags and a processing area for Hake Steaks was established, sawing the frozen blocks on board, packaging them for household consumption without defrosting the product.
- By the end of the 60s, Pescanova already had one hundred vessels fishing all over the world.
THE 70s
Consolidation and development in other countries
- Pescanova developed the largest logistics network of frozen products in Spain with 60 refrigerated trucks and 100 insulated trucks, which allowed the distribution of the products all over Spain.
- Years of international growth, during which it entered various markets, investing and creating in them companies that fostered the development of local communities.
- Pescanova became the largest shipowner in the western countries, placing Galicia and Spain at the top of the global fishing industry.
- The logo and trademark of the company, Rodolfo Langostino, was created.
- The motto that has since identified the Pescanova Brand was created: “Lo bueno sale bien” (good things go well).
THE 80s
Legislative development and local contribution
- Access to new waters, expanding the fishing activity through the creation of companies in Chile, Argentina, Australia, etc.
- Active involvement in the creation of a legal framework for the fishing industry in Spain with the mixed company formula.
- Our products started conquering the French and Portuguese markets, where subsidiaries where created.
- Two factories were built for the processing of fish and prepared and pre-cooked food products in Pontevedra and A Coruña.
- First steps in aquaculture.
THE 90s
Commitment to sustainability and aquaculture
- Strong commitment to aquaculture with salmon farming in Chile, shrimp farming in the south and turbot farming in the north of Spain.
- Creation of NovaNam Ltd. in Namibia, the largest hake processing factory in Africa and the best example of support and development of local communities.
- Pescanova starts operating in Italy and the US.
- The advertising mascot Capitán Pescanova (Captain Pescanova) entered homes as the face of the brand.
- Creation of another advertising mascot, Grumete Pescanova (cabin boy Pescanova).
From 2000 to 2013
- Strengthening of aquaculture with the development and processing of vannamei shrimp in Nicaragua, Honduras, Guatemala and Ecuador through the acquisition of various fish farming companies.
- Consolidation of the company’s vertical integration model: we fish, farm, process and commercialize.
