2023 WORLD TUNA DAY
Since 2017 on May 2 “World Tuna Day” is observed especially among marine or fishing communities and fisher folks. In that the United Nations (UN) felt that there was a need to raise awareness of the necessity of “Tuna” and also promoted the benefits of sustainable fishing.
Research disclosed that Tuna is a saltwater fish from the tribe “Thunnini” which is a subgrouping of the “Scombridae” (mackerel) family. Additionally, there are at least nine
types of tuna and these are Overview, Albacore, Atlantic Bluefin, Bigeye, Pacific Bluefin, Skipjack, Little Tunny, Southern Bluefin and Yellowfin. Tuna comes in many different sizes and weights but the largest is the “Atlantic Bluefin” which can reach up to ten feet and two thousand pounds. However, most tuna are between three to ten feet and weigh forty to five hundred pounds.
According to our research from information provided by the United Nations (UN), a very large amount of the world’s populace is dependent on seafood especially Tuna and according to them, more than eighty (80) countries have Tuna fisheries. However, there are some threats such as over-fishing. According to the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) a decline in some of the Tuna population like the “Bluefin” are now endangered due to overfishing.
However, according to our Fisheries Division “Tuna” are pelagic fish that are migratory species that are always on the move from one area to another. Additionally, because they are pelagic which means that they are found in the “open sea” and not in the water nearer to land. Before new inventions of tracking devices and modern technology, fishers before depended mainly on pelagic birds to determine their whereabouts so that the captures of the schools could be achieved.
On the question of endangerment of the species the Fisheries Division does not share the same sentiments as the WWF but rather felt our local fishing operations are far smaller than other countries that capture hundreds of tons at any haul made. According to Jamie Herbert, Fisheries Officer, The Tuna in our region is not overfished nor are they endangered. This was confirmed by John Watt (Tuna Fisher) “Tuna traveling from the south only pass through our region on their route to another destination and many times the Tuna debris that is collected in the open sea and even near our shores are evidence and a clear indication to that.
Tunas found in our region are Skipjack, Albacore, Big Eye, Yellowfin, Blackfin and Little Tunny. They range from plate size to over a hundred pounds. “The largest and heaviest I caught to date weighed in at one hundred and eighty-one pounds”, Watt said.
In the last ten years the demand for “Tuna” is on the incline since more of the locals are consuming more fillets than back then in addition to the uprise of the demand for “Sushi” both by locals and tourists alike.