Year 1381: a striking eruption of Mount Etna reshapes part of the coast north of Catania. The ancient and important port of Ulysses is remoulded into the small, picturesque harbour of Ognina, at the mouth of the Lognina river. This little harbour lies along one of the most beautiful stretches of the Sicilian coast. It is the landing place from which, for 200 years, the Testa family has been putting to sea with its boats to fish for oily fish and tuna. The old wooden sailing boats gave way to motor boats in the 1950s. Twenty years later came the large, modern steel vessels, and out of this tradition and passion the Testa Conserve line was born.

Since then, bluefin tuna fishing has been added to oily fish. Bluefin tuna is a protected marine species. Fishing it is possible only by combining three aspects: knowledge of the sea and its currents, love for the territory and marine fauna, and transparent, full compliance with the laws in force. Thus the Atlante, the 42-metre vessel equipped for bluefin tuna fishing. On board, thanks to the presence of an ICCAT observer (the world organisation for the protection of species), every single catch is reported in real time to the Ministry of Agricultural and Food Resources, so as never to exceed the quotas assigned to each company. We want to stress that, despite the modern technology and equipment used, bluefin tuna fishing remains an artisanal activity. It is non-intensive fishing that takes place each year between May and June, for 30 days. The tuna are caught with purse-seine nets. Once they have reached maturity, that is between 2 and 4 years of age and at least 15 kg in weight, they are then kept in large tanks, 50 metres in diameter and 30 metres deep, in the Strait of Sicily. Here they are fed exclusively on oily fish until the moment of harvesting. In 2017 the Testa Conserve line was born: a range of top-quality seafood products, caught exclusively with the family's own boats, produced in a virtuous and sustainable way and presented in elegant, exclusive packaging. The sea on your table!