From Skin to Bones: Tuna Becomes "New Gold" – Tuna Downstreaming Can Multiply Economic Value
JAKARTA - The potential for downstream processing of tuna is increasingly seen as having bright prospects for the future, particularly through the utilisation of non-prime parts such as skin, bones, and scales, which have not yet been maximised.
The Indonesia Tuna Consortium states that the tuna-based collagen industry is even estimated to have an economic value of more than $9 billion by 2030.
“For example, collagen from tuna skin has a growing global market value, with the collagen industry projected to reach more than $9 billion by 2030,” said Indonesia Tuna Consortium Lead, Thilma Komaling, in Jakarta on Saturday (2/5/2026).
“Currently, it is estimated that 40-50 percent of tuna parts are not optimally utilised in conventional production chains,” she explained.
“Yet, parts like skin, bones, and scales have high economic value.”
Thilma emphasised that transforming the business model is key to addressing current fisheries challenges.
“We must shift to a business model based on maximum fisheries value. This is where the importance of a 100 percent utilisation approach comes in,” she said.
Not only collagen, but various other derivative products are also seen to have great potential in the global market.
“Derivative products such as gelatin, bioactive peptides, and pharmaceutical ingredients have much higher selling values compared to fresh products,” Thilma added.
She stressed that this approach allows for an increase in economic value without needing to increase catch volumes.
“This means that from one tuna fish, we can obtain multiplied economic value without increasing pressure on stocks. This transformation is possible and must be done,” she asserted.
However, challenges are not limited to production and innovation aspects.
Thilma highlighted the still low absorption of workers in the maritime and fisheries sector, even though Indonesia produces hundreds of thousands of graduates in that field each year.
“Many graduates end up working outside their field. This is a significant loss,” she said.