The first fish processing units in Tunisia are among the oldest in the Mediterranean basin. Some units were created at the beginning of the 19th century, taking advantage of the richness of the Mediterranean for a long time.
The tradition of preserving fish, which combines the gustatory qualities of Mediterranean fish with the know-how of industrialists, has nowadays developed with the acquisition of modern processing lines and the implementation of certified systems (HACCP, EU sanitary approval, ISO22001, ec…).
The sector currently has 15 processing units of sardines and 17 units of tuna processing.
During the year 2020, the quantities of processed sardines have reached to 6200 tons and those of tuna are estimated at nearly 25,000 tons.
Canned sardines include sardines in olive oil, vegetable oil, tomato sauce and others (lemon, cayenne pepper, Harissa, …) in metal cans (tinned tinplate and aluminum) with easy opening (Easy Open ”EO”).
As for the tuna, it is preserved in glass jars in olive oil fillets, and in metal cans (tinned tinplate and aluminum) in olive oil, vegetable oil and others (with lemon, Harissa, Provence herbs).
The anchovy is another species of blue fish that is developing thanks to the innovative spirit of the industrialists. The activity of processing anchovies into canned and semi-preserved is one of the most flourishing industries in Tunisia in recent years. This activity attracts many foreign investors.
Indeed, the anchovy is sold in bulk, and also offered in fillets, aluminum cans and glass jars.
14 units process the anchovy fish in canned and semi-preserved, most of which are concentrated in the region of Nabeul.
For the processing season 2020 nearly 3400 tons of anchovies have been processed.
