Cabo Vírgenes

Cabo Vírgenes is the result of the union of more than 48 years of experience and knowledge of the sector of the current managers, Pedro Mielgo in Spain, and Eduardo del Rio in Argentina. Our activity is based on a Spanish/Argentine alliance through a vertical integration system from the extraction and processing of the southern shrimp to its subsequent marketing and distribution.

In 2008, this Hispano/Argentina alliance was established and we began to operate from Argentina with two freshwater vessels: the Cabo Vírgenes and the Nueva Esperanza. Argentina also acquired a plant in Rawson from the Pescanova Group, carrying out major refurbishment work and implementing the latest freezing technologies.

This plant is located just 400 metres from the port of Rawson, a strategic location that guarantees the freshness of the raw materials, and also has the most modern freezing methods, which allows us to guarantee the highest quality standards.

On 18 January 2012, Cabo Vírgenes España, S.L. was established in Palencia (Spain), which became the perfect ally of Argentina, becoming its main centre of operations and logistics at international level, taking charge of the marketing of the product, currently exporting to more than 70 countries around the world.

Since 2012 and up to the present day, Argentina has been investing heavily year after year in the expansion and modernisation of the Rawson plant, making it one of the most modern plants in the sector.

In 2016, Argentina started operating with two freezer tanker vessels: Mar de Oro and Anita Álvarez with a fishing capacity of 1400 tonnes.

In 2017 Spain builds the reprocessing plant in Palencia, complementing the production of value-added products, with Skin and Doy Pack lines, automatic peeling and cooling lines with the latest CO2 technology, totally harmless, contributing to the reduction of the carbon footprint.

March 2019 saw the launch of the Luca Santino, the first fresh ship in the Argentinian fleet to use liquid ice, once again placing its bets on quality. In 2019, a new potter ship, the Orion 2, also began operating, as well as other vessels such as the El Malo I, the Sofia B and the Natale.

In recent years, the fleet has been strengthened through agreements with third parties to supply the company’s own plants.

In 2020, Argentina incorporated a plant in the city of Comodoro Rivadavia and the vessel Perla Negra, expanding the range of products to include Argentine hake, which is highly appreciated in the international market. It also starts operating with the Espartano, a multipurpose vessel manufactured by the Cortessi shipyard, the first prototype with an inverted bow.

In 2021, Argentina starts operating on a dedicated quay in the port of Rawson to further streamline the unloading and processing of frozen product on land.

In 2022, a new tanker ship is launched: the Atón. On the Spanish side, the Palencia plant is expanded and a reefer is built to increase storage capacity to more than 5,500 tonnes.

The Cabo Vírgenes business is in full expansion, consolidating the alliance between Argentina and Spain in international markets and focusing on the development of its new facilities, optimising the value chain. On the Argentinean side, they have focused on reinforcing production, increasing the number of vessels contracted each season to carry out fishing operations to supply our plants.

The daily production capacity is over 120 tonnes with annual growth of over 150%. This exponential growth in recent years has consolidated our brand as a benchmark in the international and Spanish market, as well as positioning us as one of the world’s leading producers of shrimp tail.

You can make a virtual visit to our facilities through Google Maps. Click here.

Cabo Virgenes headquarters

Cabo Vírgenes facilities.