Food is paramount to the people. Driven by economic growth, social progress, consumption upgrading and other factors, the high-end food consumption market has maintained its vitality in recent years. Among them, the tuna consumption market is extremely hot.

With unmatched health and nutrition attributes and resource scarcity characteristics, tuna has always ranked first in terms of raw materials, processing products and other high-end ingredients. Based on a series of industry data in recent years, this paper will study and investigate the consumption price of tuna market, and further interpret the future trend of tuna market consumption.

1、 Comparison between tuna and mainstream high-end food materials

Combined with Chinese and Western food culture, catering trend concept and other factors, matsutake, truffle, caviar and tuna are recognized as high-end food materials worldwide. This high-end attribute is reflected in the price of raw materials and other aspects.

Truffle, as a precious fungus, is rich in protein and amino acids, which requires a very high growth environment. So far, it can not be artificially cultivated, and the yield is very low. The highest price of black truffles from Sichuan, Yunnan and other real estates in China is over 1000 yuan/kg. The white truffles mainly produced in Italy are known as "white diamonds". There were cases where 3 kg white truffles sold for 500000 yuan at high-end auction. Tricholoma matsutake is mainly produced in Sichuan Tibet region of China. Due to its strict requirements on the growth environment, the growth rate is extremely slow, and it is impossible to conduct artificial cultivation. With the sharp increase in demand, the number of wild tricholoma matsutake is getting less and less, and the price continues to rise, with an average price of about 400 yuan per kg. The most expensive caviar is made of sturgeon eggs. The Caspian pearl caviar Beluga is the highest grade caviar, with an annual output of less than 100.

Compared with the above mainstream high-end food materials, tuna's unique food material characteristics and resource scarcity determine its position as the leader of high-end food materials. First of all, tuna is recognized as a nutritious and healthy modern food. Scientific research shows that the protein content of tuna is as high as 20%, but the fat content is very low, commonly known as submarine chicken, with high nutritional value. Most of the fatty acids in fish are unsaturated fatty acids, which contain complete amino acids. There are 8 kinds of amino acids required by the human body, as well as vitamins, rich iron, potassium, calcium, magnesium, iodine and other minerals and trace elements. EPA, also known as OMEGA3, is a nutrient peculiar to tuna. Just from the perspective of comprehensive nutrition, tuna is unique among high-end food materials, and is also suitable for children to the elderly at all ages. It is an ideal high-end nutritious and healthy food.

Secondly, the resource scarcity of tuna also takes the lead among many high-end ingredients. At present, there are a total of 14 tuna fisheries in the Pacific, Atlantic and Indian oceans. As the market is in short supply, tuna has been fully under quota management. Among them, big order tuna and yellowfin tuna are listed as vulnerable species and near endangered species by the World Conservation Union, and more high-end bluefin tuna is classified as endangered species. Because of the scarcity of resources, the market is in short supply, and the price of tuna is also rising year by year, which is comparable to gold.

2、 Tuna prices in high-end catering consumption places in mainstream cities

In recent years, China's demand for tuna consumption has continued to soar. In some high-end consumer places, the price of tuna related food has been very stable. The analysis is based on the five-star hotels and daily food stores in Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Chengdu, Wuhan, Suzhou, Qingdao and Hangzhou (subject to the data of consumer platforms such as public reviews).

First of all, look at the Beijing market. The Japanese cuisine brand Siye mainly focuses on the tuna disintegration show and the whole fish feast, which are famous around the world. In the Beijing Wanye Tuna Store, the per capita consumption of bluefin tuna dinner is 298 yuan; Among five-star hotels, the tuna package of Westin Beijing Jinmao Hotel includes tuna sashimi, sushi and teppanfish steak, and the price of each set is as high as 868 yuan.

In Shanghai market, the most high-end Heimu Tuna Daily Food Store in Shanghai uses the fattest and most delicious medium fat part of the belly of bluefin tuna as the raw material for sashimi, and the price of the set meal without wine is up to 2980 yuan (with 15% service charge).

In Guangzhou market, the sashimi of Serrano Japanese Restaurant, located in Tianhe District, Guangzhou, is made of bluefin tuna belly, and the per capita consumption of the set meal is about 1500 yuan.

In Chengdu market, Mr. Fish fresh seafood theme store located in Tianfu Avenue of Chengdu adopts a la carte system, focusing on bluefin tuna. Its price is divided according to the afternoon market and evening market. The afternoon market price is 358 yuan/person, and the evening market price is 418 yuan/person.

In Suzhou market, Huayin Japanese Restaurant in Suzhou uses bluefin tuna imported from Japan as raw material for sashimi, and the per capita consumption of the set meal is about 344 yuan.

In Qingdao market, Qingdao Benge Material Pavilion Air View Restaurant is located in Building 1, Century Center of Excellence, Qingdao CBD. It was famous for its 180 kg tuna disintegration show in 2019. The daily meal price of bluefin tuna sashimi is 683 yuan per capita.

In Hangzhou market, Hangzhou Manshu Huaishi Restaurant is known as the most expensive daily food store in Hangzhou. The sashimi here is medium fat of bluefin tuna stained with gold foil, and the minimum per capita consumption is 1826 yuan.

In general, the consumption demand of high-end tuna sashimi in eight major cities is very strong. According to the market sales data in the past two years, the price of iced bluefin tuna fillet in domestic star hotels is between 400 yuan and 600 yuan/kg, that of fish fillet is between 600 yuan and 800 yuan/kg, and that of iced large order tuna and yellowfin tuna fillet is between 260-350 yuan/kg. In combination with the origin and tuna quality, the price of the restaurant for processing and resale shall be at least doubled. From the perspective of geographical distribution, in addition to the first tier cities in Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou, more and more second tier and third tier cities continue to increase their demand for high-end tuna sashimi, which has formed a huge consumer blue ocean market.

3、 Market price of Japanese tuna auction

Japan is the world's largest tuna consumer, accounting for almost one fifth of the global tuna consumption every year. According to the CCTV Finance Channel, Japan has been overfishing tuna for a long time, which has led to a continuous decline in the catch of tuna along the coast of Japan over the past decade and a rising price.

The Tsukiji market, which covers an area of 230000 square meters in Japan, is a famous fish market in the world. It can provide food materials for 25 million people every day, and the daily trading volume can reach 15 million dollars. One of the five fish caught in the world every day is traded in Tsukiji. Over the years, the auction price of tuna in Tsukiji market in Japan has also become the vane of tuna consumption market.

In 2017, a 212kg tuna produced in Dajian, Qingsen County was sold at the highest price of 74.2 million yen (about 4.41 million yuan, 20000 yuan per kg).

On January 5, 2018, Tsukiji Fish Market held its last New Year's auction (the market was closed since October 2018 and moved to Fengzhou, a few kilometers southeast of the original site). Hiroshi Ono, president of LEOC Co. Ltd, the parent company of Ginza Onodera chain restaurants, snapped a 405kg bluefin tuna for 36.45 million yen (about 2.09 million yuan).

In 2019, the highest auction price of tuna is about 20.88 million yuan; In 2020, the price will be about 12.09 million yuan) This year, despite the impact of the epidemic, a 208.4 kg bluefin tuna caught in the Aomori area of northern Japan still sold for about 1.3 million yuan.

In general, the tuna auction price in the Japanese market will fluctuate due to the impact of fishing supply and market circulation, but it remains stable as a whole. Especially in recent years, after the impact of the epidemic, tuna catch and market circulation have been affected. In the future, the price of tuna in Japan's auction market will continue to rise to a high level, which is expected to usher in a new price peak.

4、 Analysis on the Export Price of Tuna Raw Fish

As a high-end food material, the price of tuna is affected by multiple factors such as origin and market. The price will vary depending on the location. Based on the market data in the first half of 2019 - 2021, the market analysis of tuna raw material fish export is carried out.  

In 2019, the global tuna raw material fish export market saw a full rebound in the second half of the year. Among them, the Atlantic Ocean and Indian Ocean yellowfin tuna have always been the main source of the European market. In this year, the price of raw fish of purse seine yellowfin tuna transported to Spain and Italy was generally around 1900 euro/t-2150 euro/t.

In 2020, affected by the epidemic, the global tuna fishing industry chain will be impacted. In addition to the restrictions of transportation and logistics, the tuna export industry will be affected. However, the market price of tuna in the main export channels is still very strong. Take Thailand and the Philippines in Southeast Asia for example, the price of raw bonito in purse seine remains at $1480 - $1500/ton;

The price of raw skipjack tuna in Manta, Ecuador, the world's second largest tuna producer and exporter, also remained at 1300 US dollars/ton, the transaction price in the Indian Ocean market was 1200 euros/ton, and the price of raw yellowfin tuna in purse seine was 2350 euros/ton.

In 2021, the global raw material export market of tuna will continue to recover steadily. With the tuna production area in the Western and Central Pacific Ocean entering a three-month moratorium from July, the overall global production of tuna has declined. In addition, many exporting countries are facing severe epidemic prevention situations. Many ports have been sealed and controlled. The logistics costs, labor costs and other fishery costs of fishing enterprises have risen in an all-round way, and the fishing volume has continued to decline. Based on the analysis of the Marine Management Commission and the European Fisheries Industry Association, Global tuna raw material prices will continue to rebound. Taking Ecuador's export market as an example, the export price of bonito per ton of raw fish has exceeded 1400 dollars.

In general, tuna, as a high-end healthy and nutritious food, has always had a huge consumer market. Affected by the quota fishing system, the global tuna market supply has been unable to meet the demand. Especially in recent years, China has become an emerging market for tuna consumption. The continuous extension of the tuna consumption chain has also spawned more segmented industries and new consumption scenarios. In this situation, the demand for tuna raw materials, primary processing products and deep processing products continues to soar, but the supply cannot rise rapidly. This situation of demand exceeding supply will continue for a long time, and global tuna consumption prices will continue to make steady progress at the peak stage.