Skipjack Tuna Prices Hit 9-Year High
Sep 15, 2026
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Raw material prices for skipjack tuna (*Katsuwonus pelamis*) have reached a nine-year high, with anticipated El Niño conditions providing support for further price increases. This nine-year peak marks a return to price levels last seen around 2017.
Price disparities across major processing hubs are significant. Data indicates that in the first week of September, small-scale canneries in Bangkok were purchasing at $1,600 per tonne, while large processors remained on the sidelines due to a slight improvement in catch rates in the Western and Central Pacific. In Manta, some skipjack traded at $1,700 per tonne (FOB) and yellowfin tuna at $1,950 per tonne; a 72-day ban on Fish Aggregating Devices (FADs) has constrained supply in the Eastern Pacific, necessitating shipments from as far away as Dakar, Senegal. In General Santos City, Philippines, trading prices approached $2,200 per tonne in August. Conversely, prices in the Indian Ocean and European markets have retreated, with skipjack trading near €1,300 per tonne. The widening price gap-amounting to hundreds of dollars-between Bangkok and Manta reflects a mismatch between the procurement strategies of large processors and the spot market demands of smaller canneries.
A contraction in catch volumes is the fundamental driver of these price hikes. Following record highs, skipjack landings in Papua New Guinea dropped by over 40% year-on-year; additionally, a 45-day FAD ban has been in effect in the Western and Central Pacific since July 1. Although the Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission (IATTC) reduced the FAD closure period for 2026–2028 from 72 days to 64 days, the supply deficit in the Eastern Pacific remains difficult to bridge in the short term.