Europe’s Hidden Tuna Empire: Uncovering the true ownership of the Indian Ocean purse seine fleet
The European Union has held a dominant position among Indian Ocean tuna fleets since the 1980s, despite the ocean’s distance from Europe. At times, vessels flying Spanish or French flags accounted for nearly 40 per cent of the catch of the region’s three key tropical tuna species: skipjack, yellowfin and bigeye.
07 May 2026