Supplies of skipjack did not improve during the first quarter
of 2012, and yellowfin became more limited. Following the
Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission (WCPFC)
decision to lift two partial fishing bans, the catch situation
may improve in the near future, especially for skipjack.
In the Eastern Tropical Pacific Ocean, 2011 catches
reached 540 000 tonnes, with skipjack at 272 700 tonnes
representing a 60 pecent increase, yellowfin at 208 800
tonnes for a 9 percent decrease, and bigeye tuna at 44 100
tonnes, an 8 percent decrease. Ecuador and Mexico had
the highest catches, followed at a distance by Panama,
Venezuela and Colombia. The 2012 catch data for the area
show a modest, 4 percent increase, but March prices for
yellowfin and skipjack remained firm.
In Japan tuna imports fell again in 2011 to 236 400
tonnes, compared with 278 000 tonnes in 2010. Canned
tuna imports were up after the March earthquake, as
consumers looked for non-perishable products.
In the United States, 2011 was another disappointing
year, as fresh and frozen tuna imports fell by 14.3 percent.
Higher raw-material costs have caused some canneries to
introduce smaller can sizes and add more non-tuna food
ingredients such as vegetables to the can, especially as
lunch-specials.
Despite high prices and economic stagnation, EU imports
of canned tuna posted positive growth in 2011, reaching
353 500 tonnes, up by 4.6 percent in quantity. Ecuador
maintained its position as the number one supplier closely
followed by Thailand.
Thai canned tuna export volumes were flat during 2011
but values increased by a significant 18.3 percent. Thai
imports of frozen tuna raw materials totalled 781 449
tonnes, 5 percent lower than in 2010.
In Japan, limited supply and good demand will keep tuna
prices firm. In the United States, demand for non-canned
tuna is improving, and the non-canned tuna market is
expected to improve during spring and summer.
Frozen Tuna Imports (Japan)
2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | |
(thousand tonnes) | ||||||
Yellowfin | 90.3 | 58.7 | 47.4 | 44.1 | 50.1 | 47.8 |
Bigeye | 86.3 | 86.8 | 77.8 | 77.1 | 73.9 | 62.1 |
Skipjack | 50.5 | 31.3 | 33.5 | 53.3 | 59.6 | 42.2 |
S. bluefin | 7.9 | 8.4 | 7.4 | 6.9 | 6.7 | 7.4 |
Albacore | 6.2 | 6.0 | 8.3 | 8.5 | 23.2 | 18.0 |
N. Bluefin | 5.1 | 6.3 | 4.2 | 4.0 | 1.8 | 3.2 |
Total | 246.3 | 197.5 | 178.3 | 193.9 | 215.3 | 180.7 |
Source: INFOFISH |
May 2012