Tuna does not qualify as one of the in-demand fish in the Indian seafood market. This is partly owing to the fact it is not one of the traditionally caught variety of fish and partly because of the high quality tuna in India is as good as not available.

The reason for the inferior quality stems from the fact that tuna can be fished only in deep waters and not near the shoreline. Deep water fishing is possible in India only for the last few decades. Even now, Indian trawlers are not equipped with on-board refrigeration facilities that is very important to keep tuna fresh and its quality intact. Deep water fishing expeditions are usually longer and without proper refrigeration the quality of the fish caught keeps deteriorating.

However, these problems are slowly being mitigated, thanks to the Ocean Partnerships for Sustainable Fisheries and Biodiversity Conservation project. The Bay of Bengal Programme Inter-Governmental Organisation head the Bay of Bengal component of this project. They are working to develop models for sustainable and locally-caught tuna fisheries for domestic consumers. They are promoting the use f hand and line fishing method that reduces the spoilage due to bad handling and many other preservation practices that will help ensure maintaining the quality of the fish.