It appears that the dawn of the new decade has ushered in an era of readjustment and consolidation in the global tuna industry with special focus on resource sustainability. A move by some European nations to put northern bluefin tuna under CITES List I, if successful, would result in a total trade ban of the species resulting in the collapse of the multi-billion dollar sashimi tuna trade. Even otherwise, many other developments are bound to affect the trade in high-valued tunas. ICCAT's and CSSBT's decision to reduce  quotas for northern bluefin and southern bluefin tunas respectively and the proposed  moratorium on bigeye tuna fishing in the western and central Pacific ocean will undoubtedly  reduce sashimi tuna supplies and much  affect the market.

Meanwhile stricter management measures are being mooted by the Western and Central Pacific Ocean (WCPO), the largest supplier of tuna to the global market. The ban on the deployment of FADs, fishing restrictions in some high sea areas and possible reduction in the number of fishing days could significantly affect the supply, and thus the price of tuna raw material for Asian canneries. The call by Pacific Island Countries (PIC), which provide more than 50% of global tuna landings, for a respectable return for their tuna resources, and the proposed creation of a tuna cartel, could significantly change the landscape of the global tuna industry.

The above developments and the rapidly changing tuna business environment will be discussed by industry leaders, marketing and technical experts at TUNA 2010 Bangkok, 20-22 May, 2010. The speaker line up would also include representatives of Regional Fisheries Management Organizations (RFMOs), NGOs and governmental policy makers.  Chairpersons Christopher Lischewski (President and CEO of Bumble Bee), Henk Brus (Managing Director, Atuna) and Chanint Chalisarapong (Vice President, Sea Value, Thailand and Chairman, Tuna Processors? Group, TFPA) will be joined by a host of distinguished speakers from industry including Eric Landheer , Head of NASDAQ, OMX Group Asia Pacific, who will discuss the challenges faced by the sector in the current economic scenario.

Other speakers include Alejandro Anganuzzi (IOTC); John Hampton (South Pacific Commission); Guillermo Campean Jimenez  (IATTC); Susan Jackson (International Seafood Sustainability Foundation); Julio Moron (Secretary, WTPO); Helga Josupeit (Food and Agriculture Organization); Anthony Vuoso (Vice President, Tri Marine International); Amornphan Aramwattanond (Director, Sea value, Thailand); Don Binotto (President, Starkist, USA); Sam Grossman  (Marumi Products, USA) ; Lorna Buchanan (Clover Leaf Seafood, Canada) and Adolfo Valsecchi (CEO, MW Brand, France).

The controversial EU-IUU regulation will be discussed by Luis Molledo from DG of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries (MARE) of the EU Commission. He will review the implementation and impacts of the regulation to the tuna exporting countries. Others who will address the conference are Dario Chemerinski  (Calvo Group Brazil); Fatima Ferdouse  (INFOFISH); Ziad Abdel Rahim (Gulf Seafood Industry, UAE); Phil Knight (New Zealand); Mark Berman (Earth Island Institute); Paolo Bray (Friend of the Sea); Bill Holden (Marine Stewardship Council) and Gerard Roessink (The Netherlands) and several special guests including senior policy makers from leading tuna trading nations.