The tuna caught by the Indian Ocean tuna purse seine fishery are destined mainly for the canning industry. Canned tuna is second only to prawn/shrimp as the largest internationally traded seafood product in terms of value and volume. Appetite for tuna is particularly strong in Europe, and the EU is one of the largest markets for canned tuna in the world, split between 5 principal consumers: Spain, Italy, the UK, France and Germany (FAO [18]). Premium-quality yellowfin tuna, canned in olive oil, is favoured by the southern European market, especially Italy and Spain, whereas lower-value skipjack tuna, canned in brine or vegetable oil, is preferred in the northern European market, especially the UK and Germany [7]. Both of these commodities are produced using tunas caught in the Indian Ocean purse seine fishery, which are landed in the Seychelles, Mauritius and Madagascar and processed in local canneries, or transshipped and sent to canneries in Europe, Asia and South America for processing