Overseas
Ghost Farms, Offshore Links and Public Funds: Greenpeace Report Uncovers Alarming Irregularities in Bluefin Tuna Farming in Italy
Despite signs of stock recovery, bluefin tuna farming in Italy continues to raise serious environmental and institutional concerns. According to a new investigative report released by Greenpeace Italy in July 2025, the industry is undergoing a new phase of expansion, driven by rising global demand—particularly from Japan. But alongside this renewed race for “red gold” come troubling revelations: nonexistent farms registered under the Ministry of Agriculture, public concessions granted to inactive companies, and EU funds managed with alarming laxity.
At the heart of Greenpeace’s allegations lies a systemic lack of transparency. According to data from ICCAT—the international body overseeing bluefin tuna fishing—Italy currently has thirteen registered fattening farms. However, only three have known geographic coordinates, and just six report actual production capacities. Even more concerning, four facilities—which alone would represent 80% of the country’s farmed tuna—are formally listed as property of the Ministry of Agriculture. Yet these sites are non-operational, lack geolocation data, and, as confirmed by the Ministry itself, exist solely “for internal organizational purposes.” In other words: phantom farms used to maintain paper quotas that are then redistributed to private entities.
Meanwhile, in Battipaglia, a company with no employees and zero revenue—Tuna Sud Srl—was granted a permit for a new offshore bluefin tuna farm just 7 km from the coastline, skirting the legal threshold that would require an environmental impact assessment. The location is already notorious for marine pollution, and the risk of further environmental degradation is high. Adding to the controversy, the local official who approved the concession is currently under investigation for corruption.
But the issues run deeper. Tuna Sud is part of a larger corporate network operating under the Producer Organization O.P. V.ITA TONNO, which includes recurring surnames such as De Crescenzo and Ferrigno. Some individuals within this structure are even named in the Paradise Papers, with links to offshore companies in Malta. While not illegal per se, such arrangements raise red flags—especially in a sector receiving substantial public funding. Between 2014 and 2020, companies affiliated with O.P. V.ITA TONNO received over €915,000 in public subsidies, mostly for vessel upgrades.
Greenpeace is not merely sounding the alarm. The NGO is calling for increased transparency in ICCAT data, mandatory environmental impact assessments for all new farming sites, tighter controls over EU EMFAF (FEAMPA) funding, and the long-overdue approval of Italy’s national decree on the environmental impacts of aquaculture facilities. Despite being in the works since 2006, this regulatory framework still does not exist, allowing farms to operate without clear limits on density, waste discharge or animal welfare standards.
While many of the issues raised are not new, the current mix of regulatory gaps, institutional opacity, and rapidly growing financial interests makes the situation particularly dangerous. What some trade groups tout as Italy’s “bluefin tuna route” for development may quickly become a regulatory boomerang unless serious reforms are introduced.
Greenpeace’s report paints a troubling picture: an opaque system where inactive farms are registered under government ownership, permits are granted under dubious conditions, and public funds are funneled to a tightly-knit group of players. The need for reform is urgent. The sector must be governed by transparency, accountability, and firm environmental standards.
