Tuna import volume to the United Kingdom 2019, by country of origin
The UK Tuna trade in detail
The saltwater fish, depending on the species, varies drastically in size and weight. The species that gets imported to the UK in a higher volume than any other is the Skipjack tuna which grows to a size of up to a meter. The species accounts for over 90 percent of UK saltwater fish imports. During 2017, total imports were in decline for all formats and all but one species of Tuna, most worryingly this was the bluefin tuna. The Atlantic bluefin is considered by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature to be endangered, with Pacific bluefin tuna considered vulnerable. Nonetheless, bluefin imports went up by 210 percent in 2017.
Only negligible amounts of Tuna were imported fresh or frozen and close to 98 percent was imported in a prepared or preserved format. Nearly 70 percent of exports of Tuna from the UK went to the Republic of Ireland. Total Exports came to less than 5,000 tons of Tuna in 2017.