Thai Union partners with Spain's Zunibal to upgrade electronic monitoring system for Indian Ocean tuna longline fleet

Bangkok-based seafood producer Thai Union announced on October 21, 2026 that it will partner with Zunibal, a marine technology company headquartered in Derio, Spain, to upgrade the electronic monitoring (EM) system for its tuna longline fleet operating in the Indian Ocean.

According to a statement released by Zunibal, the company uses cloud services to secure data access, provides expert analysis, and relies on artificial intelligence tools to speed up review and support decision-making processes. The Spanish technology firm has more than 30 years of experience in the marine technology field.

Tony Lazazzara, Thai Union's Global Director of Fish Sourcing, said in the statement that Zunibal was chosen because it can turn innovation into practical results on the water, and that its AI expertise and on-site support will make monitoring faster, smarter and more useful, helping the company protect tuna stocks and meet the standards expected by its customers.

The performance standards for this electronic monitoring system were developed jointly by Thai Union and The Nature Conservancy (TNC), a nonprofit based in Arlington, Virginia, USA, and it adopts an end-to-end service model. The International Seafood Sustainability Foundation (ISSF), a nonprofit based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA, also provided guidance for the technology, with services covering equipment installation, technical support, cloud data management, and AI-assisted reporting and review. The statement said the implementation of the electronic monitoring system will help meet Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) compliance requirements, thereby maintaining existing certifications.

Zunibal Chief Commercial Officer Ángel Martínez said electronic monitoring must be practical and cost-effective to deliver lasting value; by combining cloud technology, expert review and the company's AI capabilities, the time and cost required to analyze fishing activity can be reduced while providing reliable evidence to support MSC and TNC requirements. He believes Thai Union's choice shows the value of delivering these capabilities through a fully integrated service, consistent with the overall objectives of monitoring programs.

In addition to the electronic monitoring technology deployment, Zunibal's Asia office in Kaohsiung, Taiwan will handle crew support and training, working with vessel owners and operators, and will collaborate with Key Traceability, a UK seafood sustainability consultancy. Tom Evans, Director of Key Traceability, said he is pleased to have a trusted electronic monitoring provider like Zunibal on board, and that its combination of technology and practical experience is essential to ensuring the company achieves its sustainability program goals.

Thai Union's SeaChange initiative has set sustainability goals for 2030, with plans to improve traceability and vessel monitoring. At the Seafood Expo North America held in Boston, Massachusetts, USA from March 15 to 17, Adam Brennan, Thai Union's Chief Sustainability Officer, said the company aims to have 50% of its tuna fishing vessels equipped with onboard Wi-Fi capability by the end of 2026, and 75% of vessels connected to the internet by 2027. According to Zunibal's statement, Thai Union's 2015 global tuna sustainability goals show that currently more than 99.9% of its tuna is responsibly sourced, 95% is covered by at-sea monitoring programs, and 100% is traceable to the specific vessel that caught it. Through its partnership with Zunibal, Thai Union's monitoring data collection capabilities can be used to assess compliance with regional and international fisheries regulations, so as to continue fulfilling its sustainability commitments.