Sardines
Oceamic II
Oceamic II is a large private-label sardine, mackerel, and tuna cannery in Laayoune (Western Sahara), independently confirmed by seafood trade press to co-pack sardines under the John West and Parmentier labels for Thai Union's MW Brands.
At a glance
| Country | Morocco |
|---|---|
| Region | Laâyoune-Sakia El Hamra |
| City | Laayoune (El Aaiún) |
| Founded | 2012 |
| Company | Private-label only — no consumer-facing brand of its own |
| Owner | Per Western Sahara Resource Watch, owned and managed by Moroccans (associated with the El Aaiún-based Sarma Food group); registered name Oceamic Laayoune II S.a.r.l. |
Notable facts
- Independently corroborated private-label relationship: seafood trade publication IntraFish and Western Sahara Resource Watch (WSRW) both report that the Laayoune cannery co-packs sardines for Thai Union's MW Brands under the John West and Parmentier labels for European markets, with mackerel co-packing discussed as a future possibility. This is a materially stronger claim than typical self-reported marketing copy — two independent outlets, not just the company's own site.
- WSRW additionally reports the cannery was barred from EU exports between 2012 and 2014 over hygiene-compliance failures before resuming, and that it (along with associated firm Sarma Food) is owned and managed by Moroccans rather than Sahrawis, employing primarily Moroccan settlers.
- Company's own site (oceamic2.com) separately names Calvo as a third client brand alongside John West and Parmentier — this specific Calvo claim has not been independently corroborated by a second source in this research pass and should be flagged as self-reported.
- Note on naming: trade press (IntraFish, WSRW) refers to the cannery simply as 'Oceamic,' while the company's own site and registration records use 'Oceamic II' / 'Oceamic Laayoune II S.a.r.l.' These very likely refer to the same entity, but the exact relationship between an 'Oceamic' and 'Oceamic II' naming was not independently clarified.
- Up to 89 million cans/year capacity, 1,500+ employees, certified BRC, IFS, FDA, Halal, BSCI, per company site.
- No dedicated press/media kit page found on oceamic2.com.
Origin
Oceamic II is a large-scale cannery on the Atlantic coast at Laayoune, in Western Sahara — one of the biggest private-label sardine operations in this directory, with capacity for up to 89 million cans a year and over 1,500 employees, yet no consumer-facing brand of its own. Founded in 2012, it exists almost entirely as a supplier to other companies' labels.
What makes Oceamic II unusual among the private-label canneries here is that its private-label relationships are not just self-reported: independent seafood trade press (IntraFish) and the advocacy group Western Sahara Resource Watch both separately confirm that the Laayoune cannery co-packs sardines for Thai Union's MW Brands, sold under the John West and Parmentier names in European markets — a genuine, corroborated finding rather than marketing copy alone. The company's own site adds a third name, Calvo, to that client list, but that specific claim rests on the company's own word and hasn't been independently verified here. WSRW also reports the plant was temporarily barred from EU exports in 2012–2014 over hygiene compliance before resuming operations.
Products
The full product line for Oceamic II is being catalogued — check back as our verification program fills it in.