World Tuna Day is marked on May 2 to raise awareness of tuna fish and its value to people and the environment. The day also raises awareness of the value of sustainable fishing methods and informs people worldwide about how the great demand for tuna meat has led to the species’ decline. For those who are unaware, tuna is vital for both developed and developing countries because it is not only a substantial food supply but also has incredible nutritional value.
The History Of World Tuna Day
The United Nations General Assembly created World Tuna Day in December 2016 with the intention of protecting endangered species. In its resolution 71/124, the UN general assembly formally decided to observe the day. The first World Tuna Day was celebrated in 2017. The UN estimates that tuna and species that resemble tuna are fished annually at a rate of about 7 million metric tonnes.
Importance Of World Tuna Day
The day has great significance because 80 countries have tuna fisheries, and many depend on tuna for food security, economic growth, employment, a way of life, culture, and nutrition. The fact that these fisheries are expanding in both size and capacity, however, is more concerning.
Theme of World Tuna Day 2023
“Yes We Can” is the MSC’s World Tuna Day theme for 2023.
Why is World Tuna Day necessary?
Tuna is a valuable food item that faces several challenges:
Overfishing as a result of rising demand – According to the most recent industry estimates, 13% of tuna stocks are overfished and 22% of tuna stocks are overfished.
Bycatch issues linked with tuna fishing include catching and entangling seabirds, sharks, and marine animals. Depending on how the fishing equipment is used and where the tuna is fished, various fisheries have quite diverse effects.
Fisheries need strong management, efficient enforcement, and reductions in catching undesirable or endangered species or bycatch for tuna populations to flourish. The goal of World Tuna Day is to speed the protection of tuna’s future.
What measures are being taken to protect tuna?
Overall, more than half of the world’s tuna catch has received MSC certification for sustainability or is working towards it. Today, almost 30% of all catches are MSC-certified. The MSC Fishery Standard is being independently audited against more than 20% of the volume of the world’s tuna catch. Fisheries improvement project (FIP), an initiative that puts fisheries on a path towards sustainability, takes nearly 20% of the world’s tuna catch.
Activities on World Tuna Day
This World Tuna Day, there are many ways you can participate, from spreading awareness to taking action to simply enjoying sustainably caught tuna. There are three things you may do to celebrate World Tuna Day:
Prepare sustainable tuna in honour of World Tuna Day.
Look for the MSC blue fish tick label while shopping.
Learn where sustainable skipjack tuna comes from.
10 Facts About Tuna
The most common type of canned tuna is chunk, light meat in water.
Light meat (in water or oil) accounts for 75 to 80 percent of yearly domestic tuna consumption.
Tuna comes in more than twenty different kinds.
Blackfin Tuna can grow to a length of 3.5 feet.
The albacore tuna has a maximum length of 4.5 feet.
An Atlantic bluefin tuna’s length can reach nearly 15 feet.
The largest tuna specimen discovered was nearly 21 feet long and weighed 1,600 pounds.
Tuna can swim between 44 and 62 miles per hour, making them quick swimmers.
Tuna can conceal their skin to blend in with their aquatic environment.
The ability of tuna to keep their body temperature higher than the ambient water is a special trait.