A high-ranking official of the country’s leading sardine brand, Mega Prime Foods Inc.’s Mega Sardines, revealed plans to expand its deep-sea commercial fishing fleet as it aims to grow market share in the coming years, serving both domestic and overseas Filipino consumers.

According to Mega Prime Foods’ Chief Growth and Development Officer Marvin Tiu Lim, the company takes pride in building its own vessels, used by its growing number of fishermen.

“We are the ones who build our boat. These are steel-hulled boats designed abroad. We are also the ones doing the drydocking and repair, even our boat's engines, in Zamboanga. We are proud that Filipinos can do all of this, which surprises some of our international counterparts,” he said in an ambush interview Tuesday during the Mega Sardines x MWA Media Event in Quezon City.

To date, Mega Prime operates 100 deep-sea fishing vessels used to catch sardines and other marine species in the Sulu Sea, manned by roughly 900 fishermen.

“We are (definitely) planning to add our fleet year-on-year, at least 1 to 3 vessels, depending on the need. As we aim for sustainability, there are a lot of fishing grounds and fishing opportunities, not only for sardines alone but for other species,” he said.

Aside from building its own vessels, Mega Prime also manufactures the tin cans used in its sardine products.

The company is known for its signature 12-Hour Catching to Canning process—an innovative approach that ensures the freshness and quality of every can of sardines.

On the fishing grounds, Mega's crews use advanced technology to identify areas with healthy fish populations. The company's high-tech sonar boats are equipped with side-scanning sonar and other modern detection equipment.

Once a sizable catch is located, a light boat is deployed to attract the school of fish, which are then gathered in a single area. A catcher boat then lowers its net.

“Traditionally, manual labor is employed to transfer the catch to a carrier boat, but Mega Prime Foods uses another innovation, the Fish Pump. What usually takes an hour by manual labor now takes a mere 2-3 minutes by fish pump. With the fish untouched, histamine levels are minimized, its shelf-life is increased, and vastly improved freshness, firmness, and taste are guaranteed,” the company stated on its website.

Despite its aggressive expansion, the company emphasizes its commitment to sustainable fishing practices. It strictly complies with government-imposed fishing bans, uses only regulation-sized nets, and does not engage in irresponsible or destructive fishing.

"This responsible management of resources allows the replenishment of fish in the ocean," Tiu Lim said.

Market share

Tiu Lim added that Mega Prime is targeting a 5 percent increase in market share by volume.

“It’s because, on average, the Philippines consumes a thousand 20-footer containers of sardines per month. Right now, we produce 3 million cans of sardines a day in all of our plants, depending on the fish catch, compared to Portugal, which produces 3 million cans in a year. Those numbers cement us, hopefully, to be the largest producers of sardines. It seems that the Philippines is the number one sardine-eater in the whole world,” he said.

Mega’s Sto. Tomas, Batangas plant alone can produce 500,000 cans daily across all product lines.

In the next two to three years, the company also aims to be publicly listed, Tiu Lim said.

Aside from sardines, Mega Prime Foods also produces canned tuna, mackerel, squid, spices, and condiments.

Mega Prime Foods Inc. was introduced in 2022 as Mega Global Corporation’s largest subsidiary, and is responsible for producing the Philippines’ number one canned sardines.

A 'superfood'

Meanwhile, Mega Sardines has been officially endorsed as a “Superfood” by the U.S.-based Medical Wellness Association (MWA), becoming the first sardine brand in the Philippines—and the world—to receive such recognition.

James Michael Lafferty, Founding Board Member of the MWA, said, “Mega Sardines stood out in all areas in our System-6 criteria for a 'Superfood'. Filipinos value nutritional wellness, especially when preparing meals for their families. With the product being rich in omega-3, high in vitamins, and processed with world-class safety, we can say it's more than a pantry essential, a food that supports overall health."

Mega Sardines met MWA’s System-6 criteria, which include being a rich source of omega-3 fatty acids essential for brain health and inflammation reduction; high in nutrients such as Vitamin B-12; supportive of heart and metabolic health; sustainable with a low contamination risk; processed with maximum food safety; and capable of achieving the “Catch-to-Can” process in just 12 hours.