A powerful Basque tuna seiner

MATER is a traditional Basque coastal fishing vessel, 33 meters long, handcrafted in wood. A powerful Basque tuna boat, the backbone of the Cantabrian fleet.

“We are looking at one of the most perfect fishing vessels, ideally suited to its fishing grounds. There are few differences among this type of boat, as they are all repetitions of a model that emerged back in the 1950s.” .”from the book ARRANTZARIA

Aware of the heritage value it represents, at MATER we have preserved the entire traditional structure of Basque tuna seiners, with their gear, cabins, and typical wheelhouse. The holds have been adapted to safely carry out their current function, creating surprisingly spacious areas where the ship’s superb craftsmanship can still be appreciated.

Basque maritime heritage

The history of MATER goes back to 1990, when the Etxegoien fishing family from Getaria decided to build a new boat—a wooden vessel based on the traditional construction techniques used for generations by Basque fishers.

The wooden hull was built in San Esteban de Pravia (Asturias), and the rest of the assembly was completed in Zumaia (Gipuzkoa). It was the last wooden vessel built for this purpose in the Basque Country. For more than a decade, it fished anchovies, mackerel, sardines, and albacore, using fishing methods respectful of the marine environment. It operated in the Bay of Biscay and occasionally along the African coast.

In 2003, together with the rest of the fleet, MATER took part in cleaning up the Prestige oil spill, removing fuel to prevent it from reaching the coast. After 13 years of life at sea in the Cantabrian and Atlantic, its fishing career came to an end that same year, as it was about to be scrapped. But its fate changed when we decided to safeguard the seafaring legacy of past generations by transforming it into a museum ship in Pasaia San Pedro.

We sail in the same boat

MATER in Latin means “mother.”

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MATER in Latin means “mother.” This was the original name given by its former owners for its fishing activity, and we have preserved it.

Now, in its new life, we like to imagine it as our Mother Nature: a vessel we care for, and that cares for us. A place where space and resources are limited, where there is great interdependence among people, and where waste does not simply disappear. A ship where the whole crew contributes to reaching a common destination.

And if we build a strong ecoactive crew, the course of our planet could change towards sustainable development. That’s why there is nothing better than living an on-board experience—feeling, participating, and contributing together, while connecting with our Mother Nature. Because, in the end, the most important thing is knowing that we are all sailing this universe in the same boat.

Explore the activities

Upgrades to the ship

Changing course

MATER has an ambitious project to make the organisation and the ship more sustainable, with the aim of reducing and offsetting our environmental impact and adopting practices that are more respectful of our surroundings. Collaborate with us and help us achieve it.

Collaborate with MATER!

Now more than ever, it is essential that we are all in the same boat to help change the course of the society we live in.

Discover how to collaborate

On this exciting journey, we move forward with small but steady actions:

Saving resources with our on-board energy efficiency plan
Consuming mostly local, organic, and seasonal products in the tavern and on board
Striving to reduce, reuse, and separate our waste
Actively seeking less toxic and less polluting alternatives (cleaning products, soaps, toilet paper…)
Collaborating with the Lurgaia Foundation to offset our annual CO2 footprint by planting native trees
Educating and raising awareness by regularly organising clean-ups and coastal discovery outings open to everyone