The passion for the sea has always been a symbol and a feature of the Portuguese people. The conserved fish industry began over a century ago thanks to this passion for the sea.

This tradition remotes to the late 19th century when, in Vila Real de Santo António, men went out to sea and brought fish to be conserved and consumed later on, mainly during the most harsh and rigorous winter seasons.

After the Second World War, this practice was officially incremented as an industry. Canned tuna and canned sardine is now common food in the Portuguese diet.

Cofaco was created in Algarve in 1961 and its head office was in Vila Real de Santo António. The tuna fish is rare in the Algarve, so Cofaco fishes in Azores where the Tuna passes in its migration routes.
Nowadays, Cofaco is mainly from the Azores and its industrial poles are concentrated in the islands of Pico (Madalena do Pico), S. Miguel (Rabo de Peixe) and Horta (Faial).

The conserved tuna market represents the core-business of Cofaco.

The mission of the company is to satisfy the needs and desires of its clients and consumers through the development of its human and technological resources, thus reassuring its position in the Portuguese market as a reference brand and developing its international presence.

Cofaco's practice is based on values of Tradition, Quality and Trust.

• Reinforcement of the established leadership in the Portuguese canned fish market
• Development of its international positioning
• Contributing to the development of the general society and its stakeholders in particular based in a balanced relation between economic growth, ecological concern and social responsability.