Throughout 2015, overall supply of raw material tuna remained higher than the corresponding market demand for canned tuna. As a result, tuna packers in Southeast Asia, Ecuador and in the Western Indian Ocean held large inventories. Frozen skipjack prices fell to record low levels as did canned tuna prices. In December 2015, prices of frozen skipjack weakened to less than USD 1 000 per tonne, compared with USD 1 150 in the same month of 2014 and USD 1 400 in 2013. However, raw material imports into Thailand, the Philippines and China in 2015 did not increase compared with the previous year. Subsequently, fishing efforts reduced during the fourth quarter of 2015.

As of this writing, fishing in the Western and Central Pacific has also slowed due to poor weather. The US Tuna Treaty has been finalized and the US fleet is now allowed to resume fishing in the Western and Central Pacific. There has been a significant drop in landing activities in Thailand and Thai Canneries are reporting moderate-to-low inventories. Raw material supply is expected to be tight in the coming months.

Fishing in the Eastern Pacific has resumed but catches are poor. In Ecuador, raw material inventories are low and expected to be tight over the next few months.
Short supplies from the Indian and Atlantic Oceans have resulted in substantially higher raw material prices in Europe this year. Fishing in the Indian Ocean is moderate, with mainly skipjack being caught. Local canneries are holding good inventories of raw material. The FAD closure in the Atlantic Ocean ended on 1 March, but fishing has remained at a low-to-moderate level so far. Local canneries are holding moderate raw material inventories.