A regulatory evolution that rewards EU fleet excellency

Applicable from 27 January 2026, the new rule requires freezer vessels to demonstrate a validated, continuous process capable of reaching –18 °C in the fish core. Crucially, brine temperature must be monitored electronically in real time, with records available to competent authorities. Only vessels whose capacity has been validated and documented at approval will be entered on an authorised list, a condition for placing tuna on the EU market. This should eliminate fraudulent practices of re-freeze at -18°C tuna that was first frozen at higher temperature and meant for other use, to sell it to consumers as “fresh” or “frozen”. Such practices can make tuna develop dangerous levels of histamine, which poses a serious health risk to consumers.

This new regulation finally aligns market-access conditions with the level of control and investment that characterises the EU fleet. It recognizes the long-term commitment of the EU fleet to measurable performance and verified safety. Long before this regulation, European operators had already equipped their vessels with advanced brine-freezing and monitoring systems, tested and documented under real conditions. The industry did the science and proved the technology to make EU-frozen tuna at –18 °C a global reference for safety and reliability. This is the standard others will now have to match to reach the EU market.

Consumer safety first

The new rule also addresses a public-health concern. When it comes to food safety, alignment of all products sold in the EU with EU standards is a necessity.

Anne-France Mattlet, director of Europêche Tuna Group, insists: “The two latest RASFF alerts in October concerning histamine contamination in tuna from Indonesia and Sri Lanka clearly highlight the need for such a level playing field. European consumers have the right to expect that any tuna sold in the EU is completely safe, regardless of its origin. The high sanitary standards applied by the EU fleet must therefore become the prerequisite for any fleet wishing to access the EU market.”

Press contacts:

Anne-France Mattlet, Europêche Tuna Group Director: anne-france.mattlet@europeche.org

EP Press Release – Tuna Frozen in Brine

A risk of destabilization of the European tuna market, enhanced by the recent increase of US tariff

With nearly 450 000 tons of canned tuna, Thailand is the world’s leading producer and exporter of canned and preserved tuna, accounting for over 22% of global production and more than 29% of global exports. Between 2020 and 2023, the EU imported nearly 40,000 tons of fishery products from Thailand annually—despite current tariffs of 24% on tuna loins and canned tuna. Even without tariff preferences, Thailand remains one of the top suppliers to the EU market. In addition, the additional duties recently imposed by the United States to Thailand increases even more the need for Thailand to access the EU market duty free as well as the risk for EU tuna producers to face an aggressive competition.

Granting duty-free access to Thai tuna products would severely impact the competitiveness of the EU tuna industry.

A European model threatened by unfair competition

In the ultra-competitive global tuna market, the European tuna purse seiner fleet is recognised as a model of sustainability and responsibility. The fleet respects strict quotas, is monitored 24/7 by VMS, systematically embarks scientific observers meaning 100% observer coverage and applies stringent control, monitoring and control regulation. Besides, the fleet’s environmental and social standards are also certified by MSC label, complying with the ILO C188 requirements verified by the flag state, as well as AENOR (APR) and AFNOR standards. Those rules and standards require a high level of investment and make it the most expensive tuna fleet to run in the world. EU vessels have to compete in international waters and markets with non-EU fleets that do not respect the same standards, or even engage in IUU (illegal, unreported and unregulated) fishing.

The EU tuna sector supports over 25,000 direct jobs across the EU, particularly in regions highly dependent on fishing. These jobs and investments would be put at risk by tariff liberalisation to Thai tuna products. In addition, this would undermine the EU supply chains established with West and East African partners under the Economic Partnership Agreements, including Côte d’Ivoire, Seychelles, and Mauritius.

The threat of low-quality and standards tuna products entering EU supermarkets

Thailand, has worrying structural shortcomings:

• Its processing industry imports whole tuna massively from countries with opaque practices in terms of sustainability and sanitary compliance (including Taiwan, China, South Korea and Indonesia)
• Despite that Thailand has ratified International Labour Organisation’s Convention 188, it has failed to implement it and ratify other major international conventions on human rights and work at sea (ILO C87 on Freedom of Association and Protection of the Right to Organise and ILO C98 on the Right to Organise and Collective Bargaining).
• The European Commission’s latest audit in 2023 highlighted persistent flaws in health and food safety from Thailand, revealing its inability to ensure standards that comply with European requirements.

The EU and its contradictions: a call for common sense

European fisheries are coming up against the EU’s paradoxes: while the European Union continues to impose increasingly restrictive regulations on its own companies, it simultaneously allows the import of products that do not meet these same standards.

Faced with this observation, Europêche calls on the European Union to exclude tuna products from the draft free trade agreement with Thailand and maintain a strict rules of origin. This will help preserve the European tuna sector and guarantee a level playing field for EU producers.  If that is not possible, as in other FTAs, it would be mandatory to apply strict rules of origin: only for wholly obtained fish, and with no cumulation.

Xavier Leduc, President of Europêche Tuna Group, explains: “Tuna loins and cans processed in Thailand from low-standard Asian fisheries pose a direct threat to sustainable European fleets, which face higher costs due to their rigorous control, social, and environmental standards. A Free Trade Agreement with Thailand allowing duty-free tuna products into the EU would only deepen the existing imbalance, further disadvantaging European fleets and undermining fair competition.”

Anne-France Mattlet, Director of Europêche Tuna Group, says: “Under current regulations, the EU cannot block low-standard tuna entering EU market—but it must not let it in duty-free.”

Press contact:

Anne-France Mattlet, Europêche Tuna Group Director | phone: +33 678 11 63 01 | e-mail: anne-france.mattlet@europeche.org

EP Press Release – Thailand FTA

A risk of destabilization of the European tuna market

Thailand is the world’s largest producer and exporter of tuna, with an annual production of about 470,000 tons of canned and prepared tuna. Currently, an average of 10,000 tonnes are exported to the EU each year, subject to a 24% tariff. If the FTA was to include tuna products, the derogation of these taxes would automatically lead to a massive influx of imports, given the considerable export potential of the Thai sector. The impact would be immediate on:

• The European sector, especially tuna fleets, faced with increased and unfair competition,
• Low-quality of products in supermarkets, with an influx of seafood with lower social, environmental and control standards.

A European model threatened by unfair competition

In the ultra-competitive global tuna market, the European fleet of tuna purse seiners is recognised as a model of sustainability and responsibility. The fleet respects strict quotas, is monitored 24/7 by VMS, systematically embarks scientific observers meaning 100% observer coverage and applies stringent control, monitoring and control regulation. Besides, the fleet is also certified by MSC label, as well as AENOR (APR) and AFNOR norms, respectively the highest environmental and social standards. Those rules and standards make in the most expensive tuna fleet to run in the world.

However, the EU tuna fleet is facing significant challenges, as evidenced by the recent shutdown of two relevant companies (Via Océan – formerly Saupiquet – and Nicra 7) in 2024. These companies have to compete in international waters and markets with non-EU fleets that do not respect the same standards, or even engage in IUU (illegal, unreported and unregulated) fishing.

Xavier Leduc, President of Europêche Tuna Group, explains: “Tuna loins and cans processed in Thailand from low-standard Asian fisheries pose a direct threat to sustainable European fleets, which face higher costs due to their rigorous control, social, and environmental standards. A Free Trade Agreement with Thailand allowing duty-free tuna products into the EU would only deepen the existing imbalance, further disadvantaging European fleets and undermining fair competition.”

On the other hand, Thailand, has worrying structural shortcomings:

• Its processing industry imports whole tuna massively from countries with opaque practices in terms of sustainability and sanitary compliance.
• It has failed to implement International Labour Organisation’s Convention 188, major international conventions on human rights and work at sea, and to ratify major other ones (ILO C87 on Freedom of Association and Protection of the Right to Organise and ILO C98 on the Right to Organise and Collective Baigaining)
• The European Commission’s latest audit in 2023 highlighted persistent flaws in health and food safety, revealing its inability to ensure standards that comply with European requirements.

The EU and its contradictions: a call for common sense

European fisheries are coming up against the EU’s paradoxes: while Brussels continues to impose increasingly restrictive regulations on its own companies, it simultaneously allows the import of products that do not meet these same standards.

Faced with this observation, Europêche calls on the European Union to exclude tuna products from the draft free trade agreement with Thailand and maintain a strict rules of origin. This will help preserve the European tuna sector and guarantee a level playing field.

Anne-France Mattlet, Director of Europêche Tuna Group, says: “Under current regulations, the EU cannot block low-standard tuna entering EU market—but it must not let it in duty-free.”

Press contact:

Anne-France Mattlet, Europêche Tuna Group Director | +33 678 11 63 01 | anne-france.mattlet@europeche.org

EP Pres Release – Thailand FTA

This ambitious scientific project, scheduled to last two years, aims to enhance the performance of stock assessment models, as well as complementary ecosystem and climate models, by deepening our understanding of key biological information on tropical tunas (yellowfin, skipjack, and bigeye). To achieve this objective, the consortium is developing an efficient and coordinated sampling scheme in both the Atlantic and Indian Oceans, aiming to collect around 4,000 samples.

Anne-France Mattlet, director of Europêche Tuna Group, explains: “By providing new information for more robust stock assessments and sharing the new knowledge produced with a broad range of stakeholders, this project will undoubtedly benefit and optimise conservation and management measures based on the best available science within Regional Fisheries Management Organisations.” Europêche Tuna Group and its members – ANABAC, OPAGAC and ORTHONGEL, the three associations of frozen tuna producers in the EU – are actively involved in the design of the sampling methodology and sharing the data needed to achieve the project results.

About the project:

The ITUNNES project, funded by the European Climate, Infrastructure and Environment Executive Agency (CINEA), is lead by AZTI and joins several European partners: the French Institut for research and sustainable development (IRD), the Spanish Oceanographic Institute (CSIC-IEO), Secretaria Regional Do Mar E Das Pescas Madeira E Açores (DRPM-MADEIRA, DRP-AÇORES, respectively), and Europêche. Both the Centre De Recherches Océanologiques (CRO, Ivory coast), and the International Seafood Sustainability Foundation, INC (ISSF, USA) are associated partners to the project.

See the project webpage: https://www.azti.es/en/proyectos/itunnes/

Press contacts:

Anne-France Mattlet, Europêche Tuna Group Director: +33 6 78 11 63 01; anne-france.mattlet@europeche.org

EP Press Release – iThunnes Project

On a first panel, scientists from the French Institut de recherche pour le développement (IRD), the Instituto español de oceanografia (IEO) and the Spanish AZTI attended and explained their needs to produce better estimates for the stock assessment process, essentially pointing out the importance of data availability but also of clear, stable and consistent data recovery methodologies.  Some new methods based on buoy[1], sonar[2] or even genotype[3] are promising to determine stocks abundance.

Fishing industry representatives have raised concerns about potential misinterpretations of scientific advice due to the inherent uncertainties of any stock assessment. They warned against significant negative consequences on purse seine fishing fleets as a result of uneven management actions within Regional Fisheries Management Organizations (RFMOs), that could also hamper stocks’ recovery. Both scientists and fisheries’ representatives emphasized the importance of using clear and unambiguous communication regarding stock assessment results in order to prevent any potential distortion of the information on stocks status. RFMOs and flag states also need to strengthen their compliance enforcement processes.

In a second panel, scientists explained to the sector the functioning and implications for fleets of multispecies Management Strategy Evaluation (MSE) for tropical tunas. This scientific process specifically examines the impact of fishing and management strategies on all the stocks of tropical tuna within each region, rather than focusing on a single species, hence recognising the multi-species nature of the fisheries and the interconnected nature of the stocks targeted, as well as additional ecosystem impacts, aiming to develop more holistic and effective management strategies.

Anne-France Mattlet, director of Europêche Tuna Group, underscores the value of such gatherings: “Through open dialogue and frank exchanges of perspectives, both scientists and purse-seine industry representatives have successfully achieved a deeper mutual understanding, marking the first step towards developing effective solutions.”

[1] Buoy-derived Abundance Index

[2] Sonar-Based abundance Index

[3] Close-Kin Mark-Recapture

Press contacts:

Anne-France Mattlet, Europêche Tuna Group Director : +33 678116301 anne-france.mattlet@europeche.org

Daniel Voces, Managing Director of Europêche: +32 2 230 48 48 daniel.voces@europeche.org

EP Press Release – Industry-science Meeting

ICCAT adopted a Total Allowable Catch (TAC) for North Atlantic Albacore tuna of 47 251 tonnes, which represents an increase of 25%. This was possible thanks to the scientific data evidencing the good health of the stock and the management and conservation measures implemented over several years. Daniel Voces, managing director of Europêche, says: “This is good news for the European fleet and the result of our fishers’ unwavering dedication in adhering to and implementing strict regulations”.

ICCAT also adopted a TAC of 27 711 tons for the South Atlantic Blue Shark. However, for the North stock, ICCAT decided to cut the TAC by 23% (from 39,000 to 30,000 tons), despite the fact that the stock was not overfished and that overfishing is not occurring. Javier Garat, President of Europêche, fears that “this decision will add unjustified burden to the EU fishing industry, which has made significantly more efforts than other fleets in reducing fishing effort while increasing reporting and monitoring at sea. As always, they will endure the consequences of strict management while other fleets will continue business as usual. We hope this changes now.”

On shark finning, Japan opposed and vetoed the European Union’s proposal for a “recommendation concerning the conservation of sharks caught in association with fisheries managed by ICCAT”, which included the obligation to provide more data to scientists and to land fins naturally attached to carcasses. The European fishing fleets have been applying a ban on shark finning since 2003 and since 2013 the fins attached policy. Javier Garat declared “While I note with satisfaction the growing number of co-sponsors on this conservation measure year on year, discussions have been on-going for 15 years now; it is time to approve the fins attached policy to guarantee the ban on shark finning.”

For bigeye, while the stock evaluation allowed for an increase of the TAC up to 75 000 tons, corresponding to a 64% probability of remaining in the green quadrant of the Kobe matrix, the parties opted for a more cautious approach by adopting a roll-over at 62 000 tons until a new allocation is determined. Unfortunately, the ICCAT’s Commission has failed to adopt such a new scheme for the last two years.

Xavier Leduc, president of Europêche Tuna Group, says “It is paramount to adopt a new allocation scheme ensuring both the possibility for developing countries to benefit from quota increases, and a certain stability for existing fleets, like the EU purse seine fleet which contributes to the local economies through fisheries agreements, use of port facilities and plants supply. While this would be perfectly possible with a potential increase of the TAC increased and the redistribution of unused fishing opportunities, Japan is reluctant to redistribute its long-term unused catch quotas to developing states. We hope that the working group on allocation will facilitate progress on this matter. We also hope that next year, ICCAT’s Commission will seize the opportunity to raise observer coverage on longliners, which are limited to 10% while purse seiners are 100% observed, and to ban at sea transhipments”.  

Anne-France Mattlet, director of Europêche Tuna Group, also precises: “It is important for ICCAT to keep improving its compliance process and to avoid rewarding with additional fishing opportunities contracting parties (CPCs) involved in recurrent over-catch and poor compliance records unless they show a strong commitment to revert the situation and provide proof of improvement”.

The high-sea boarding and inspection scheme was neither adopted, as several contracting parties were not satisfied with the proposal, including China.

Press contacts:

Daniel Voces, Managing Director of Europêche: +32 2 230 48 48 daniel.voces@europeche.org

Anne-France Mattlet, Europêche Tuna Group Director: anne-france.mattlet@europeche.org

EP Press Release – ICCAT 28th Session 2023

All European tropical tuna purse seiners are part of this initiative: ANABAC and ORTHONGEL are members of the SIOTI alongside the Indian Ocean canning industry, and OPAGAC participates through AGAC.

The fleet’s vessels will provide the SFA with their dFAD satellite tracking data and online software. This critical information will pinpoint the locations of dFADs entering the perimeters of eighteen islands, ensuring timely recovery before they affect marine ecosystems and allowing risk assessment of potential drifting zones. The memorandum also includes deploying the coastguard vessel Saya de Malha to recover drifting FADs and returning them to Mahé for disposal, reuse or recycling by agents of the SIOTI and AGAC fleets.

Anne-France Mattlet, director of Europêche Tuna Group, declares: “This initiative, together with biodegradable FADs research and MSC progressive certification, is an integral part of the European ship-owners commitment to ensure sustainable fishing in the Indian Ocean region”.

Press contacts:

Daniel Voces, Managing Director of Europêche: +32 2 230 48 48 daniel.voces@europeche.org

Anne-France Mattlet, Europêche Tuna Group Director: anne-france.mattlet@europeche.org

EP Press Release – FAD Watch