The Australian Southern Bluefin Tuna industry has gained new insights and strengthened its global brand at an influential seafood expo in Spain.  

The Seafood Expo Global in Barcelona is one of the most influential trade events in the global seafood calendar, attracting more than 30,000 buyers, producers and innovators each year. FRDC supported four representatives from the Australian Southern Bluefin Tuna Industry Association (ASBTIA) to attend the 2025 expo:

• Peter Fare, Marketing Manager at Australian Fishing Enterprises and Chair of ASBTIA
• Simoan Hayman, Executive Manager at Blaslov Fishing and ASBTIA Deputy Chair
• Kylie Petherick, Chief Financial Officer at Stehr Group and ASBTIA Company Secretary
• Daniel Casement, Chief Executive Officer of ASBTIA

Their mission was clear: explore how sustainability brands, decarbonisation initiatives and product innovation can deliver profitability for Australia’s premium tuna sector.

A premium brand  

One of the clearest messages from the expo was the global push to position tuna products as premium and sustainable. Competitors promote themselves as Certified B Corporations, highlight their sustainability reporting, and showcase packaging that places tuna alongside luxury proteins.

Australian Southern Bluefin Tuna (Thunnus maccoyii) is already the world’s first Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) certified Southern Bluefin Tuna fishery, with stocks in a strong place after decades of careful management. Achieving this certification was a milestone, but the challenge now is to translate sustainability into value.  

“The challenge is not just catching the world’s best tuna but presenting it with the brand strength that global markets now expect,” says Daniel Casement, Chief Executive Officer, ASBTIA.

Part of that challenge is perception. In global markets, Northern Bluefin Tuna (Thunnus orientalis) is often considered the “premium” tuna, while Southern Bluefin Tuna is sold whole and cut into smaller pieces, with little brand recognition flowing through to the consumer. In Japan, which buys 85 per cent of the world’s sashimi tuna, Australian fish is used widely in sushi chains but sold as “fatty tuna,” with no recognition that it comes from the world’s first MSC certified Southern Bluefin Tuna fishery.

Sustainability as a market driver  

Workshops and meetings with MSC and the Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC) reinforced the growing importance of sustainability in securing global market access. New standards under development broaden the focus beyond fish to include farm practices, people and planet, with stricter requirements on worker welfare, community benefits, biodiversity protection and feed sourcing.

Social licence is critical for ASBTIA. “It’s about giving certainty to customers that our product is world-class on every front,” says Daniel.  

“It also means looking at future consumers. Younger generations in some markets are shifting away from seafood toward other proteins like beef, and Australian consumers often don’t know how to prepare or cook tuna. If the industry is to stay competitive, it must develop more convenient ready-to-eat options and engage the next generation of seafood eaters.”  

Innovation and diversification  

The expo highlighted innovations that could benefit the Australian industry:

• Product innovation – including ready-to-eat tuna, burgers and leather made from fish skins, turning waste into products like sneakers and backpacks
• Cryopreservation research – with potential to extend shelf life, reduce oxidation and expand market opportunities
• Operational technology – from laser lice control systems to new cage designs and automated filleting equipment to reduce labour costs.

Some are being tested in Australia through collaborations with the Blue Economy Cooperative Research Centre (CRC), while others provide fresh ideas for building circular economies.  

Strengthening global networks  

Beyond technology and market insights, the trip was a valuable opportunity to build networks with international buyers, suppliers and innovators. Meetings with tuna companies, sustainability organisations and initiatives such as the Iceland Ocean Cluster, which is focused on 100 per cent fish utilisation, reinforced the potential of partnerships to drive growth and add value across the supply chain.

“These global connections are vital for ensuring our industry remains competitive,” says Daniel. “They open doors for collaboration, knowledge sharing and access to new markets.”

However, many global competitors are innovating faster, offering premium ready-to-eat products and branding that places them alongside other proteins in everyday markets.

“The fundamentals of our product, from processing and filleting to shelf life, need more work before we can compete head-to-head on branding alone. Driving this change must come from within our industry,” says Daniel.  

Next steps  

Global seafood markets are evolving rapidly, and competitors are investing heavily in branding, sustainability and innovation. For Australia’s Southern Bluefin Tuna industry, the path forward involves:

• Leveraging MSC certification and sustainability reporting more strongly in branding
• Further exploring eco-labels and emerging ASC standards to meet shifting market expectations
• Pursuing product innovations to expand consumer reach
• Building capacity in the next generation of industry leaders.

With support from FRDC, ASBTIA has laid the foundations to strengthen Australia’s reputation as the source of the world’s most premium tuna, and to ensure that profitability and sustainability go hand-in-hand.

“Global markets are changing fast, and this project gives the Southern Bluefin Tuna industry a front-row seat to see where the opportunities lie,” says FRDC Project Manager Ben Jones. “By investing in sustainability, branding and innovation, the industry is not only protecting its market access but also building the capability it needs to thrive into the future.”