Canned bonito tuna (Latin name: Sarda sarda) was once a species, which was imported into the European by hundreds of containers from Asia in the 1990's and has now lost its importance in the market.
In 2006, all EU members states together imported only 3.975 cartons of canned Sarda sarda, which was 8.941 cartons less than in the previous year, the equivalent of a 69% drop.
During last year, Thailand was the last real remaining European supplier of canned bonito; 3.446 cases or only 2 20ft dry container was shipped, making the item no longer of any significant importance in the market. Other providers of bonito product were Vietnam with just 507 and the USA with as few as 27 cartons.
In the past, canned bonito deserved its importance in the EU market, due to its very low price, at levels which were in some cases as much as 15% lower than canned skipjack.
Looking at the period of last seven years the EU got the biggest amount of canned bonito in 2000; 27.397 cartons. That time Germany imported the largest quantity from Turkey at the level of 11.554 units.
However since canned Sarda sarda cannot be sold and labeled in the European any longer under the name "Canned Tuna", the item has almost disappeared from the supermarket shelves. According to EU regulations the Sarda sarda species is officially not considered a member of the tuna family.
Only three EU countries imported this bonito in 2006. Cyprus, which took the full Thai delivery, UKwhich got the product from Vietnam and Spain which imported a few cases from the USA.
