Tuna Market - Global Industry Size, Share, Trends, Opportunity, and Forecast, 2021-2031

The Global Tuna Market is projected to expand from USD 40.22 Billion in 2025 to USD 49.99 Billion by 2031, reflecting a CAGR of 3.69%. This sector centers on the commercial harvesting and distribution of Thunnini species, which are processed primarily into canned, fresh, and frozen formats for human consumption. Fundamental drivers supporting this industry include the rising global demand for accessible protein sources and the economic viability of canned tuna, which offers a stable shelf life during inflationary periods. These core factors ensure consistent revenue streams, distinct from shifting culinary trends, by satisfying essential nutritional needs across diverse demographics.

However, the industry faces critical hurdles regarding environmental sustainability and strict catch quotas intended to mitigate overfishing risks. According to the Food and Agriculture Organization, the global trade of fresh, frozen, and canned tuna during the first nine months of 2024 was estimated at 3.07 million tonnes, valued at USD 11.86 billion. While these figures highlight the sector's immense economic scale, future expansion remains contingent upon successfully navigating complex regulatory landscapes to maintain biological stock levels.

Market Drivers

Rising consumer demand for affordable, shelf-stable, and convenient canned tuna products acts as a primary catalyst for market expansion, particularly as inflationary pressures shape global purchasing behaviors. This trend is reinforced by the product's nutritional versatility and long shelf life, which appeal to urban populations seeking cost-effective protein sources. Major industry players are capitalizing on this volume-driven growth by optimizing ambient seafood portfolios to meet the resilience of the canned segment, effectively insulating revenue against economic volatility. For instance, the Stock Exchange of Thailand reported in November 2024 that Thai Union Group achieved Q3 2024 sales of THB 34.84 billion, a performance driven significantly by higher organic demand in their ambient seafood category.

Simultaneously, the expansion of MSC-certified sustainable and dolphin-safe fishing practices is reshaping supply chain governance and trade dynamics. As regulatory bodies and retailers enforce stricter traceability standards to combat illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing, the industry is witnessing a structural shift towards certified sourcing to ensure long-term biological viability. According to the International Seafood Sustainability Foundation's December 2024 'Status of the Stocks' report, 88% of the total commercial tuna catch worldwide now originates from stocks at healthy levels of abundance. This industry-wide commitment to ecological preservation is further highlighted by the reach of certification programs; in 2024, the Marine Stewardship Council noted that fisheries harvesting 53% of the global commercial tuna catch were engaged with the MSC program.

Market Challenges

The primary impediment restricting the growth of the Global Tuna Market is the enforcement of strict catch quotas and environmental sustainability mandates designed to combat overfishing. While essential for long-term biological viability, these regulatory ceilings create an immediate supply-side bottleneck. Manufacturers and processors are unable to linearly increase production volumes in response to rising global demand because the availability of raw material is artificially capped. This disconnect between constrained supply and growing consumption forces the market into a cycle of scarcity, limiting the industry's ability to scale operations and driving up procurement costs, which ultimately hampers volume-driven revenue expansion.

This structural limitation is substantiated by recent data regarding stock health and necessary conservation measures. According to the International Seafood Sustainability Foundation, in November 2024, 13% of the world’s major commercial tuna stocks were classified as overfished, a critical status that triggers rigorous harvest limits on key species such as the Indian Ocean yellowfin. Consequently, major commercial fleets are prevented from accessing additional biomass, locking the market into a supply deficit that stifles new market entry and restricts the overall capacity for industry growth.

Market Trends

The implementation of AI-driven electronic monitoring (EM) systems on fishing vessels is rapidly becoming a critical standard for supply chain transparency, effectively replacing reliance on manual logbooks and sporadic human observation. This technology utilizes high-definition cameras, sensors, and artificial intelligence to automatically detect fishing activities, bycatch events, and handling practices, thereby eliminating data blind spots in high-seas operations. Major seafood conglomerates are aggressively mandating these systems to verify compliance with labor and environmental protocols, moving beyond simple paper-based certifications to ensure accountability at the point of harvest. According to Thai Union Group PCL, in their June 2024 sustainability report, the company successfully increased the proportion of tuna sourced from vessels equipped with electronic monitoring or human observers to 90%, a significant rise from a 71% baseline in 2021.

Simultaneously, the market is witnessing the global mainstreaming of sashimi-grade and raw tuna consumption, facilitated by advancements in ultra-low temperature cold chains that preserve texture and quality during transport. This trend marks a divergence from the volume-driven canned segment, as distributors prioritize deep-frozen loins and fillets to meet the rising culinary demand for high-value raw formats in both retail and foodservice sectors. This shift towards premiumization allows stakeholders to command higher margins and mitigate the volatility associated with commodity skipjack prices. According to the Food and Agriculture Organization's July 2024 report, Japan, a leading indicator for this high-value segment, recorded a 36.11% year-on-year increase in imports of deep-frozen tuna fillets during early 2024, underscoring the resilient demand for sashimi-quality products.

Key Players Profiled in the Tuna Market

• Bolton Group S.r.l.
• Century Pacific Food Incorporated
• Albacora SA
• Thai Union Group PLC
• Dongwon Industries Ltd.
• IBL Ltd.
• FCF Co., Ltd.
• Sea Delight, LLC
• Crown Prince, Inc.
• Monsoon Fisheries

Report Scope

In this report, the Global Tuna Market has been segmented into the following categories:

Tuna Market, by Species:

• Skipjack
• Albacore
• Yellowfin
• Bigeye
• Bluefin

Tuna Market, by Type:

• Fresh
• Frozen
• Canned

Tuna Market, by End User:

• Residential
• Commercial

Tuna Market, by Distribution Channel:

• Online
• Offline

Tuna Market, by Region:

• North America
• Europe
• Asia-Pacific
• South America
• Middle East & Africa

Competitive Landscape

Company Profiles: Detailed analysis of the major companies present in the Global Tuna Market.

Available Customization

The analyst offers customization according to your specific needs. The following customization options are available for the report:

• Detailed analysis and profiling of additional market players (up to five).

This product will be delivered within 1-3 business days.