Indonesia's Tuna Catch Shrinks by Up to 30%, Impact of Overfishing and Climate Change
JAKARTA, KOMPAS.com - The Indonesia Tuna Consortium states that tuna catch volumes have decreased by up to 20-30% in recent years.
“Fishing companies have reported a decline in catch volumes of up to 20-30% in several operational areas in recent years,” said Indonesia Tuna Consortium Lead, Thilma Komaling, in Jakarta on Saturday (2/5/2026).
She explained that a combination of overexploitation (fully exploited) and climate change are the two main factors driving this decline, serving as a serious warning for the sustainability of the national fishing industry.
“Currently, some tuna stocks in the Indian and Pacific Ocean regions are already at fully exploited status, and may even exceed the fish for certain species,” Thilma stated.
According to her, Indonesia is one of the world’s largest tuna producers, with production exceeding 700,000 tonnes per year from various species such as skipjack (cakalang), yellowfin (tuna sirip kuning), and bigeye (tuna mata besar). Indonesia’s tuna exports have even reached $1 billion per year, making it a strategic national commodity.
More than 2.7 million fishermen, mostly small-scale, depend directly or indirectly on this sector.
However, behind these achievements, pressure on tuna stocks is increasingly evident.
Various studies show that without significant intervention, tuna stocks in Indonesian waters could decline by at least 36% by 2050 due to a combination of overfishing, climate change, and ecosystem degradation.
This decline also impacts increasing operational costs. Fishermen have to spend more fuel and time at sea because fish are harder to find.
“Small-scale fishermen say the same thing: fish are getting farther, smaller, and more uncertain. At the same time, climate change is exacerbating the situation,” she said.
She explained that a sea temperature rise of 1-2 degrees Celsius can shift tuna distribution by hundreds of kilometres from traditional fishing areas.
This condition makes small-scale fishermen, who have limitations in technology and reach, the most affected party. “A sea temperature rise of 1-2 degrees Celsius can shift tuna distribution hundreds of kilometres from traditional fishing areas,” she continued.
In this situation, the volume-based economic model is deemed no longer relevant. Thilma emphasised the importance of transforming to a value-added business model.
“We must shift to a business model based on maximum fisheries value. This is where the 100% utilisation or 100 percent utilization approach is important,” she said.