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While Tuna is a globally prized fish, some selling in auction in Japan for millions of dollars, its abundance in the Bay of Bengal has meant little economic benefit so far for Bangladesh.

Tuna sells predominantly as a cheap variety on the country’s local markets amid a lack of demand, while exporters have yet to tap the potential of one of the world’s most lucrative marine resources, particularly in the absence of a dedicated national strategy.

Local and international surveys have already confirmed the bay as a tuna reserve, but Bangladesh heavily lacks preparations for developing a viable tuna fishery, as poor planning, project delays and political interference plague the efforts to shape a sustainable blue economy for the country.

Experts say the economic promise of tuna extends beyond raw catch, with value-added products such as frozen loins, canned tuna and vacuum-packed steaks offering strong export prospects in Europe, Japan and the Middle East.

Domestically, tuna could also find growing demand in urban centres as steaks, fillets and curries, while dried or smoked products may appeal to regional consumers.

‘Significant tuna production could open a fresh door for industrial diversification,’ said Ummeh Iffat, a faculty member at Chittagong University’s oceanography department.

‘Tuna trimmings can produce fish meal for poultry and aquaculture feed, viscera for fish oil, and skin for collagen, ensuring minimal waste and added revenue’, she continued.

While regional competitors, such as India, Sri Lanka, the Maldives and Thailand, have modernised their tuna fleets and built extensive processing facilities, Bangladesh remains beset by limited investment, technical constraints and bureaucratic inertia.

According to the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation, in 2024, global tuna trade climbed 20 per cent to 3.07 million tonnes, with total trade value reaching $11.86 billion.

The FAO projects the market to expand at an annual rate of 7.5 per cent through 2028, reaching $33.75 billion.

Research work on the country’s pelagic resources (Marine life that lives in the open water column of a sea, not near the seafloor) dates back to 1978–79.

That year Norwegian vessel Dr Fridtjof Nansen, assisted by the FAO, estimated the stock of tuna and related species at between 60,000 and 1.2 lakh tonnes.

A 1987 assessment reported the stock at 1.88 lakh tonnes within the country’s exclusive economic zone.

Following resolution of maritime boundary disputes over a decade ago, Bangladesh gained full control of 1,18,000 square kilometres of deep-sea territory.

Joint surveys with Thailand later confirmed significant pelagic resources, including six commercially valuable tuna species—yellowfin, bigeye, long-tail, skipjack, frigate and bullet tuna.

A 2023 marine fisheries survey and stock assessment by the Department of Fisheries estimated pelagic biomass at roughly 1,30,000–1,43,000 tonnes, mostly sardine-type species but with a notable presence of tuna.

‘Our waters are rich in tuna and related species, but the country has yet to build an effective operation,’ said Md Abdullah Al Mamun, assistant director at the Department of Fisheries’ marine section.

Despite sovereign rights over its vast exclusive economic zone, Bangladesh’s marine fishery outputs, along with the tuna and tuna-like fish outputs, show a declining trend in recent years.

The country’s fisheries statistics reported a 7.47 per cent decline in the country’s total marine catch in 2023–24 financial year in comparison with the previous year.

The total production of tuna and related species of 14,493 tonnes in FY 2023–24 was 3.71 per cent down from 15,051 tonnes the previous year.

‘Bangladesh lags behind not because there is a lack of fish, it is due to a lack of readiness,’ said Afifat Khanam Ritika, research officer at the Bangladesh Institute of Maritime Research and Development.

‘Neighbouring fleets are already established, while Bangladesh is still building the runway,’ she told ¶¶Òõ¾«Æ· on Wednesday.

In an attempt to improve the country’s readiness, in 2020, the government launched a Tk 610.6 million project titled ‘Exploring Tuna and pelagic fishes from the deep sea in the Bay of Bengal’, aimed at procuring longline vessels, training crews and conducting pilot expeditions.

But the initiative stalled amid tender disputes, allegations of political interference and attempts to procure outdated vessels, while import restrictions and procedural delays further derailed the project’s implementation.

The project was revised lately into a pilot initiative titled ‘Pilot Project on Tuna and Similar Pelagic Fishing in the Deep Sea’ and approved in September this year.

The pilot targets developing of a commercially viable tuna industry by 2027 under the government’s Blue Economy strategy.

Project estimates suggest Bangladesh could sustainably harvest 25,000–40,000 tonnes of tuna and related species annually if modern deep-sea fleets and processing infrastructure are developed.

Bangladesh joined the Indian Ocean Tuna Commission as a full member in 2018 and pays Tk 7.7 million annually in membership fees though it has no operational tuna fleet of its own.

‘We joined the Tuna commission without any preparation,’ said fisheries department director general Abdur Rauf, ‘We have no vessels, no trained personnel and no infrastructure. The membership has only added financial pressure.’

Fisheries officials said that local tuna production could reduce imports of marine species permitted under the Fisheries and Fish Products (Inspection and Quality Control) Act 2020.

Bangladesh currently allows imports of about 1 lakh tonnes of fish annually to meet the dietary needs of specific groups, including foreign nationals residing in the country.

‘Tuna can power both export earnings and meet the growing domestic demand,’ said Sazdar Rahman, director of the fisheries department’s Blue Economy section.

Regarding growing demand, he said that different restaurants and super shops in cities were marking a gradual increase in Tuna’s demand.

Private investors, meanwhile, remain cautious, citing high capital costs, limited cold-chain facilities and a lack of reliable catch data.

‘The government issues licences but offers no clear commercial framework,’ said Roifun Nabi, a Chattogram-based fishing entrepreneur. ‘Building or importing a tuna vessel costs millions, and without assured data or export support, it is too risky.’

Most local fleets still rely on nearshore trawlers designed for shrimp or demersal fish (living and feeding on or near the bottom of seas or lakes) unsuited for longline tuna operations. Experts recommend tax incentives, concessional loans and joint-venture partnerships to attract private participation.

‘Bangladesh needs a hybrid approach,’ Ritika of the maritime research institute observed, ‘without risk-sharing mechanisms, the private sector will stay away—and the opportunity will drift further out to the sea.’