The Indian Ocean as a fishing zone
The Indian Ocean is a vast fishing zone managed under the IOTC (Indian Ocean Tuna Commission), covering approximately 70 million km² of ocean and the exclusive economic zones (EEZs) of numerous coastal states including Sri Lanka, the Maldives, India, Indonesia, Madagascar, Kenya, Tanzania, Mozambique, South Africa and many others.
When a supplier says “Indian Ocean tuna,” they are describing the catch area — the IOTC zone. The fish could have been caught by vessels flagged to Sri Lanka, the Maldives, France, Spain, Japan, Taiwan, South Korea or any of dozens of other nations with access to the zone. It tells you where the fish was caught but not necessarily who caught it, where it was processed, or what standards governed that processing.
Sri Lanka as a processing and export origin
Sri Lanka is one of the most significant ports of origin for chilled tuna exported to the UK and EU. Sri Lankan tuna is distinguished by:
- Processing origin: Fish landed at Sri Lankan ports (Colombo, Negombo, Mirissa, Trincomalee) and processed at facilities in Sri Lanka — even if caught by foreign-flagged vessels operating in the wider Indian Ocean
- Export certification: Sri Lanka has a well-established export certification framework for fishery products — processing facilities are approved for export to the UK and EU, with veterinary health certificates issued by the Sri Lanka Export Development Board (EDB) and the National Aquatic Resources Research and Development Agency (NARA)
- HACCP certification: Major processing facilities in Sri Lanka hold HACCP certification and comply with EU/UK import requirements for temperature control, hygiene and product traceability
- Air freight access: Bandaranaike International Airport (CMB) in Colombo provides direct and connecting air freight services to London Heathrow, enabling chilled tuna to reach UK buyers within 3–5 days of catch
Origin labelling: what UK importers need to state
Under UK food labelling regulations for fish and seafood products (retained from EU Regulation 1169/2011 and the Common Fisheries Policy labelling rules), the following information is required for fish sold at retail and food-service:
- Commercial name: e.g. Yellowfin Tuna
- Scientific name: e.g. Thunnus albacares
- Production method: e.g. “Caught at sea”
- Catch area: e.g. “Indian Ocean” or FAO zone (FAO 51 for western Indian Ocean)
- Country of origin: This is typically the country of processing/export (e.g. Sri Lanka) rather than the flag state of the catching vessel
For UK wholesale buyers, “Sri Lanka” as the country of origin on import documentation refers to where the fish was processed and exported from — not necessarily where the vessel that caught it is registered. A Sri Lankan health certificate covers processing hygiene and product safety; it does not certify the sustainability or catch origin of the vessel.
Quality differences: Sri Lanka-processed vs other origins
Within the Indian Ocean tuna market, Sri Lanka-processed chilled tuna has a strong reputation among UK and European buyers for several reasons:
- Short time from catch to processing: Vessels landing at Sri Lankan ports tend to be relatively small (day-boat, coastal, or short-trip longline) compared to large distant-water tuna vessels that may spend weeks at sea. Shorter time from catch to processing generally means fresher fish with better colour hold and texture
- Established processing infrastructure: Sri Lanka has decades of experience processing chilled tuna for UK/EU export, with processing lines optimised for chilled rather than frozen product
- Consistent year-round availability: Sri Lanka's geographic position in the Indian Ocean means it benefits from year-round tuna availability, with seasonal peaks in the southwest and northeast monsoon periods affecting catch volumes but not eliminating supply
Maldivian and East African tuna: how they compare
Other significant Indian Ocean tuna export origins relevant to UK buyers include:
- Maldives: A premium tuna origin known for pole-and-line caught skipjack (Katsuwonus pelamis) under MSC certification. Maldivian yellowfin and bigeye are also exported chilled. Pole-and-line catch method is valued for sustainability credentials and single-fish handling. Higher price premium than Sri Lankan origin.
- Seychelles / East Africa: Predominantly the base for large Spanish and French purse-seine vessels catching skipjack and yellowfin for the canned tuna market. Chilled export volumes are lower; relevant mainly for frozen loins and canned product.
- India: Growing chilled tuna export sector, particularly from Chennai and Visakhapatnam. HACCP-certified facilities export to the UK but are less established in the premium chilled sector than Sri Lanka.
What UK importers should specify when ordering
To avoid ambiguity, UK importers should specify the following when placing a chilled tuna order:
- Species (yellowfin / bigeye / skipjack — do not accept “Indian Ocean tuna” without species confirmation)
- Country of processing/export (e.g. Sri Lanka)
- FAO catch area (e.g. FAO 57 — Eastern Indian Ocean; FAO 51 — Western Indian Ocean)
- Fishing method (longline, handline, pole-and-line) if relevant to your buyers
- Processing facility name and approval number (required for UK/EU import documentation)
- Health certificate number for each shipment
Brookstone Trade and Indian Ocean sourcing
Brookstone Trade sources chilled tuna from verified processing partners in Sri Lanka with HACCP certification and UK/EU export approval. We supply yellowfin and bigeye tuna to UK importers, wholesalers and food-service buyers with full documentation. Contact us to discuss your origin requirements and supply programme.