The fishing vessels Gure Itxaropena from Comillas, Peñil González from San Vicente de la Barquera, and Arantzazuko Izarra from Hondarribia have launched the Atlantic bonito season in Cantabria. Early this morning, they delivered the initial 13,000 kilos to the port of Santoña, caught from the Atlantic.

Large bonito fetched a price of 13.10 euros per kilo, although the average price settled at 12 euros. Luis Lamadrid, the captain of Gure Itxaropena, told reporters the price was a fair reward for the 18 days spent at sea. He expressed hope for a fruitful season, noting that while there was plenty of fish, they were not biting well. "Let's see how the season unfolds. We hope the fish will feed better as they approach the Cantabrian coast," he added.

For the third consecutive year, Gure Itxaropena kicked off the bonito season in Cantabria, docking around 4,500 kilos in Santoña at 4 AM after four days at sea. The trip to the Atlantic was worthwhile to compensate for a lackluster verdel season, as per the captain. After restocking supplies, they will return to the waters, anticipating the bonito's arrival in Cantabria.

All the fish auctioned at 7 AM in Santoña were destined for fresh consumption. It's expected that as more boats join the season and schools of fish reach the coast, prices may decrease.

This fishery marks the third major event in the Cantabrian Sea following the seasons for verdel and bocarte (anchovy), employing trolling or live bait methods. The International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas, responsible for managing this species, has set a quota of 26,000 tons of white tuna for this year's campaign.

The Goienkale from Bermeo (Bizkaia) unloaded the first northern bonito on May 12 at Avilés (Asturias), priced at 120.20 euros per kilo for the first batch, considerably lower than the 339 euros reached in 2024.