Page 25 - TTIA Directory 2018

In the past two decades, an estimate number of fish in the ocean has decreased
to around 60 – 70 tons. This reflects the trend of declining natural resources. Tuna
populations have suffered an alarming decline of nearly three quarters in the last
40 years due to global warming and overfishing. The Thai Tuna Industry Association
(TTIA) has been promoting sustainable fishing and combatting illegal fishing by
providing its full support to anti-IUU efforts
(Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated Fish-
ing) and countering human trafficking. TTIA
reaffirms that its members have been strin-
gently operating their tuna businesses in a
transparent manner along the line of the
international principles and Thai laws re-
stricting the use of child labour, force labor
and human trafficking.

Due to limited number of tuna fish in the Thai sea, the tuna industry has to
import most of our fresh and frozen tuna from abroad for processing. Sources of
our tuna fish are Taiwan, South Korea, Kiribati, and Papua New Guinea. We make
sure that our fish products for canned tuna come from the source that perform
sustainable fishing. Prices vary according to types of fish. Deepsea tuna – which
cannot be caught in the Thai sea and demanded by the market can be divided
into five species: Skipjack Tuna; Yellowfin Tuna; Albacore or Long Finned Tuna;
Bigeye Tuna; and Bluefin Tuna.

For Thai tuna industry, Skipjack Tuna are the most processed in Thailand due
to its abundance and the source of fishing is located in the central, western and
eastern part of the Pacific Ocean as well as Indian Ocean. Tuna processing in
Thailand is controlled by the HACCP (Hazard Analysis and Critical Point System)
and GMP (Good Manufacturing Practice) – which are international standards to
ensure food safety. New technologies are also brought into the tuna production
to continue to improve research and development of canned tuna products to
benefit consumers the most.
Producers and exporters of tuna industry has faced a number of trade chal-
lenges, as tuna fish is among the world most popular fish and has highest eco-
nomic value. Environmental friendly measure and effective natural resource
management therefore need to be brought into the picture to ensure appropriate
and sustainable growth of the industry.

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