As per the official figure export from the Philippines dropped 12 percent in the first nine months of 2009. Ecuador’s export of tuna pouches to the US market dropped by 25 percent in the January to September 2009 period compared with the same period a year earlier. But the overall US imports of canned tuna (excluding pouches) increased slightly in 2009.
The declining consumer demand for high-end non-canned tuna products continues to cut back fresh tuna imports in the US market; there was nearly a 9 percent decline in supplies during January-September 2009 compared with last year. The average import price of fresh chilled dressed bigeye tuna, for example, was firm at USD 7.50-8.00/ kg, but the supermarket price for tuna loins and steaks fell from USD 13-19/lb in early 2007 to USD 10-15/lb at the beginning of 2010.
Sluggish demand of US consumers for sashmi products put the US imports of fresh tuna down by 10 percent, to 16 400 tonnes in the January-September 2009 period. In the fillet/loin market, frozen products with longer shelf life, have largely replaced fresh tuna products, particularly in the retail market segment.
To combat the bad effect of last year result the US authority has taken initiative to promote sustainable tuna fisheries. It is said that the beginning of 2010 will mark the first anniversary of the formation of the International Seafood Sustainability Foundation (ISSF) – a global partnership among the tuna industry, science and the World Wildlife Fund (WWF).
It is expected that tuna catches to stay relatively low in coming months, which should result in higher tuna prices on the world market. Consequently, canned tuna prices are likely to go up in the near future. Demand for sashimi tuna will continue the past year’s trend, which is strong demand for sashimi products sold in supermarkets to be consumed at home.
