Find Seafood - Tuna
Tuna fisheries are some of the most important in the world with many countries nutritionally and economically dependent on their health. Despite often being generically termed ”tuna,” there are in fact 13 different species; six are intensively fished on a commercial basis: skipjack, northern bluefin, southern bluefin, big eye, yellowfin, and albacore. Conservationists are concerned about overall declining populations and with the levels of bycatch associated with long-line and purse seine fishing methods. Only those species whose populations are in good shape and for which fishing is done sustainably are included in our online Find Seafood database.
Bigeye and Yellowfin (Ahi): Populations of bigeye and yellowfin tuna worldwide are generally considered to be in poor shape—the one exception being the U.S. Atlantic yellowfin fishery. A valuable tuna prized for its sashimi-quality flesh, bigeye is found throughout the world’s oceans. Yellowfin tuna is popular eaten raw or lightly seared. In the USA, high-quality bigeye and yellowfin are both marketed using their Hawaiian name, ahi. Pole-caught fish results in significantly less bycatch than purse seined or long-lined.
Albacore: According to the most recent research from groups like the Monterey Bay Aquarium's Seafood Watch (USA), albacore tuna found in the North and South Pacific and the South Atlantic are fairly abundant while those in the North Atlantic and Indian Oceans and Mediterranean Sea are in shorter supply. Longlining is the most common method used to catch albacore; however bycatch from international longline fleets are contributing heavily to the decline of some endangered species of sea turtles, sharks and seabirds. The Hawaiian longline fishery has strong bycatch reduction measures. Albacore caught by troll or pole and line have least negative impact and the American Albacore Fishing Association tuna fishery was recently certified as sustainable to the Marine Stewardship Council standard.
Bluefin: Both species are fish to avoid. The Atlantic bluefin (Thunnus thynnus) catch is said to be only 10% of what it was a decade ago, due to overfishing and poor management. Populations in the Mediterranean have been notoriously over-exploited through tuna ranching and illegal fishing. Southern bluefin (Thunnus maccoyii) is also listed as Critically Endangered by the IUCN. The high prices gained in the Japanese market drive the continued overexploitation of these popular sashimi fish. Various stakeholder groups, including conservation groups, American tuna fishing interests, and traditional Spanish tuna trappers, are united in their critique of the mismanagement of these culturally and economically important fish.
Skipjack: Skipjack, which matures at an early age and is found throughout many of the world’s oceans, is generally resilient to fishing pressure. With its dark red flesh, skipjack is often sold as canned tuna (it is the most popular canned tuna in the UK market), but is sometimes sold fresh and frozen. Skipjack is caught in a variety of ways; the best choice from an environmental perspective is troll or pole-caught (such as that from the traditional Maldives fishery); purse seining poses a bycatch threat to other species.
* Click here to view more species recommendations by leading environmental groups around the world.
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Posted January 25, 2008
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