Tuna Rights Day

Tuna Rights Day is observed annually on April 21st in order to honor Tuna as well as Tuna rights.

Is your tuna sustainable?

Canned tuna has been a great companion in our pantry in today's life. To 2020, consumption of inexpensive and shelf-stable canned tuna will increase quickly around the world. Demand for frozen raw products will also increase. However, the non-canned tuna market remains constrained, along with food service trade being restricted, due to the COVID-19 crisis.

But, despite the peculiarities in the market caused by the pandemic, we cannot ignore that, for a long time, this product has been a victim of its nutritional success.

Tuna and tuna-like species play an important role in the economies of developed and developing countries and are an important food source, in terms of their nutritional properties. Their meat is rich in Omega-3 and it also contains minerals, protein and vitamin B12, among other advantages.

Due to the excellent quality of the tuna, this fish is threatened by overwhelming demand. According to the latest data, of the seven major tuna species, 33.3% of the estimated stocks are caught at levels that are biologically unsustainable, which is an explanation for the reason that the United Nations General Assembly decided to celebrate World Tuna Day in its resolution 71/124 since December 2016.

World Tuna Day highlights the importance of tuna conservation to prevent tuna stocks from decreasing by using some certain systems. Many countries rely heavily on tuna stocks for food and nutrition security, economic development, jobs, government revenue, livelihoods, culture and recreation. Therefore, Sustainable Development Goal 14, which focuses on the conservation and sustainable use of oceans, seas and marine resources, is believed to be universally applicable to the worldwide tuna market.

The overview

Two main products help to develop tuna production including traditional canned tuna and sashimi/sushi. They are evidence for the variety of types as well as the requirements for quality and production systems.

In the canned market, light meats, skipjack and yellow fin tuna, for example, are dominating, while in the sushi and sashimi market, fatty blue fin and other red meats like big eyes are preferred. Bluefin tuna is the most popular fish in the sushi and sashimi market. Almost of them was moved to Japan.

More than 7 million tons of tuna and tuna-like species are harvested annually. These migratory tuna species account for 20% of all fish caught at sea and more than 8% of all fish traded globally. As the result, human have chance to realize the important role of tuna in sustainable development, food security, economic opportunity and the livelihoods of people around the world.

It is reported that market demand for tuna remains high and significant overcapacity of tuna fishing fleets remains; which is made by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. In its latest report, FAO said tuna catches continued to increase, reaching a peak in 2018 of around 7.9 million tons, surpassing the slight decline achieved in 2016.

The decline in tuna stocks need to be solve quickly due to overfishing in the world's oceans, the United Nations Legal Adviser emphasizes the importance of effective implementation of the international legal framework, which was recommended in the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, widely known as UNCLOS, underpinned by the Code of Conduct for Sustainable Fisheries, the United Nations Fisheries Reserve Agreement, the recommendations Review Conference recommendations, the annual General Assembly resolutions on sustainable fisheries, as well as other efforts of the international community at the global, regional and national levels.

Currently, more than 96 countries are involved in the conservation and management of tuna, a fish valued at nearly $10 billion annually, and several related FAO programs have begun to bear fruit. in reducing overfishing.

Be optimistic about tomorrow's tuna.