Climate Change & Sustainability Takes Center Stage As TUNA 2026 Opens

Sustainability, the impact of climate change, and the need to tackle IUU fishing were among the main topics discussed at the opening of the 19th INFOFISH World Tuna Trade Conference and Exhibition, TUNA 2026, taking place in Bangkok.

Gemma Meermans Matainaho, Director of INFOFISH, welcomed the participants by noting that the tuna industry is going through changes. Susan Jackson, President of the International Seafood Sustainability Foundation (ISSF) and Chair of TUNA 2026, was invited to deliver Special Remarks and emphasized that “sustainability of tuna stocks is a joint effort,” and lauded the fact that half of the tuna caught comes from MSC fisheries.

The opening was followed by a Special Address by INFOFISH member states. Chai Wacharonke, Thailand’s Vice Minister for Agriculture and Cooperatives and Guest of Honor, said the country is stepping up efforts to ensure ocean sustainability while safeguarding workers and tackling forced labor in its fishing and seafood-processing industries. He also asserted that globally, the tuna industry is going through a turning point.

Alitia Bainivalu and Jelta Wong, Fisheries Ministers of Fiji and Papua New Guinea, respectively, spoke about the efforts taken in their EEZs to protect tuna stocks, including strict monitoring and sustainability initiatives. They also highlighted the challenges Pacific Island nations face amid climate change threats. Wong, who specifically addressed the fishing challenges related to El Niño explained: “Despite contributing minimally to global carbon emissions, the Pacific region faces serious challenges from climate change.” According to Bainivalu and Wong, protecting and safeguarding tuna stocks is the need of the hour for future generations.

Mohamed Muththalib, State Minister, Ministry of Fisheries, pointed out the importance of pole-and-line fishing in Maldives and how the tuna industry holds together the archipelago’s economy. Muththalib also discussed the climate change threats.

TUNA 2026 began today and will conclude on September 16, centered arround the theme “Strengthening Value Chain Synergies, Blue Economy and Sustainability across the Global Tuna Industry.”