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Aqunion is the union of three well-known South African abalone businesses (Aquafarm Development, Roman Bay Sea Farm and SPP Canning), built on decades of experience and expertise.

THE AQUNION STORY

Aqunion is one of the world’s leading abalone farming businesses – the union of three renowned South African abalone businesses (Roman Bay Sea Farm, Aquafarm Development and SPP Canning). Our operations are headquartered in Hermanus – a coastal town situated on a pristine coastline of the South Coast of South Africa. With a wealth of experience spanning over 30 years and an international customer base. The company offers a full value chain that includes abalone farming, processing, marketing and export of both wild and farmed South African abalone.

HUMBLE BEGINNINGS

The origins of Aqunion can be traced back to 1966 when the first wild caught abalone was processed at our factory in Hermanus. We were pioneers in the development of the abalone farming industry in 1994 and have since then developed into the largest, most diverse and sophisticated abalone business in South Africa and proudly part of the Sea Harvest Group.
As a trained marine biologist, André had two decades of aquaculture experience, including growing cultured mussels and oysters. He had also travelled extensively in order to increase his knowledge on the subject of abalone farming and gaining invaluable experience from existing operations worldwide. At the time, the chairman of the TerraSan Group shared André’s vision of this potentially budding industry during a time when abalone was in decline due to overfishing.

New ways were needed to be explored to preserve this wonderful species. With funding from TerraSan, André finally realised a lifelong dream – to develop his own fish farming business. But it didn’t happen overnight. Living in a caravan on the site, he spent the first few years doing research, perfecting his farming methods and building the business from the ground up. Aquafarm Development was born: one of the very first abalone farms in Southern Africa.

The First Export OF FARMED ABALONE

Towards the end of the 1990s, the first commercial exports of farmed abalone were made to Hong Kong. Our quest for consistency and quality, as well as our humility, courage and innovation, found resonance with customers. From the start, we focussed on building long-term relationships with our customers, some of which still exist decades later.

We exported our first wild ranched abalone in 2024 after having seeded the small abalone into the sea in 2018. We remained patient during this period and were ultimately delighted to be able to offer this unique product to the market. The ranching operation has developed steadily since then and we see a bright future, enabling Aqunion to continue to provide large, wild South African abalone to the market.

OUR PHILOSOPHY

Aqunion is built on a solid technical foundation. We are hands-on farmers first, proud of our excellent products and the lasting customer relationships which we have nurtured over many years. Above all, we carry the interest of the consumer at heart, from product safety to excellent product quality. Here are a few more traits that we feel set us apart:

Our Abalone is Special

Our process sets us apart from other farms by the high level of animal husbandry that we maintain, the experienced individuals we employ and our in-depth understanding of what our abalone requires. We constantly monitor their environment and go the extra mile to ensure that we provide our abalone with the best possible environment to grow, including sufficient space, water supply, feed and a clean and hygienic environment. This is why we claim that our abalone is some of the healthiest around, a claim that is supported by our industry’s veterinarian who measures the condition of our animals on a monthly basis. We believe that a healthy abalone produces a better quality final product.

employ and our in-depth understanding of what our abalone requires. We constantly monitor their environment and go the extra mile to ensure that we provide our abalone with the best possible environment to grow, including sufficient space, water supply, feed and a clean and hygienic environment. This is why we claim that our abalone is some of the healthiest around, a claim that is supported by our industry’s veterinarian who measures the condition of our animals on a monthly basis. We believe that a healthy abalone produces a better quality final product.

WE ARE PIONEERS

Our company was one of the very first to pioneer abalone aquaculture in South Africa, which has given us the opportunity to lead the way in technological advancements, marketing and product development. To this day, the company is characterised by its courage to drive innovation in the industry.

We are good Corporate Citizens

Aqunion is a company that is very self-aware of its impact on its immediate environment, including our neighbours and our community. We believe in sound business principles and conducting ourselves with honesty and integrity.

We Bow to Nature

The environment in which we operate might be controlled in some ways but it is also robust and inhospitable. We are influenced by Mother Nature: the cycles of the moon, the rhythms of the ocean and the whims of one of the ocean’s most mysterious animals. We are forever grateful and respectful of what the ocean provides and therefore take our impact on the environment very seriously.