Tuna: The Bloddy Delicacy

von 13 sophie  

Tuna is awesome. It’s cheap, it’s tasty and it’s healthy. Right?
Turns out, tuna might actually be pretty bad. For the environment, for the oceans and for you. Here is some information gathered about what types of tuna there are and how many, and whether and if yes how badly they are endangered.

About the problems that tuna fishing poses, some solutions, the information that could be found about tuna in Costa Rica and what YOU, personally, can do to improve this shithole we’re living in and are calling the planet earth.

1. General



Details Tuna


Details Tuna


2. The Problems

  1. Yellowfin Tuna only build swarms as adults- they are cannibals, so the juveniles are not safe near them. In the East Pacific Ocean (coasts off Ecuador and Columbia), Yellowfin often swim with dolphin schools. That means when fishing for the tuna with big nets, fisheries often catch a lot of dolphins, leading to a decrease of this already endangered species.
    Trying to diminish the problem, the AIDCP (Agreement on the International Dolphin Conservation Program) wants to achieve that
    1. Nets have to be constructed so dolphins can escape,
    2. Divers ensure dolphins who have accidently been driven together are set free,
    3. There are supervisors on board of every tuna boat who have to submit data after every catch.
    So far, dolphin bycatch has been reduced by 93%.


  2. Dolphins and whales are not only being killed due to nets and the likewise, but also because they have a preference for tuna. Japanese fishermen are still rounding up whales and dolphins in bays and slaughtering them to diminish the predators of their precious tuna. The few ones that make it out alive are being sent to aquariums.

  3. Fisherman in a cove (Foto: picture-alliance/ dpa)
  4. FADs (“Lockbojen”): So called Fish-Aggregating-Devices (FADs) attract fish swarms. But not only adult tuna, but also sharks, swordfish, rays, the very endangered sea turtles and young tuna end up in the nets. Bycatch of young fish can take up up to one quarter of the catch. But the juveniles are essential for ensuring the survival of the species.Tuna caught this way can carry the seal “Dolphin-Safe”; so be careful not to fully rely on this seal. Another problem with FADs is that often, other endangered fish (such as reef fish) are used as bait.

  5. Capacity: In the last decade, fisheries using FADs have doubled their catching capacities. The biological borders of tuna population have long been reached. The bycatch of young fish endangers the continuity of the species. But also the rest of commercial fisheries have increased immensely in size, including the European fleets. Boats that have been retired from these fleets are, sadly, often illegally sold to developing countries where little to no regulations are effective.

  6. Atlantic Bluefin Tuna is the most threatened one- the population capacity has long been reached but demand from all over the world is not ceasing. An attempt at resolving this problem is creating life farms. But the Bluefin Tuna is nearly impossible to cultivate. Of course, there would also be the problem of other fish being used for feeding, but largely less endangered fish can be used and domesticating the tuna seems like the only way to relieve the natural population.
    Another approach to solve this issue is making it illegal to catch the Atlantic Bluefin Tuna during breeding season. An embargo discussed in 2010 has not successfully been realized.

  7. There still aren’t all the necessary laws and limitations in order. And even if; international agreements and conventions are solely good faith agreements, monitoring anything is incredibly difficult next to impossible.

  8. Tuna allegedly is bad for your health: Because of the pollution of our oceans, more and more quicksilver gets into the marine food chain- and because tuna are quite high in this food chain, their flesh contains a high amount of the toxic heavy metal. Quicksilver can lead to severe brain damage, kidney failure and strokes.

3. Tuna in Costa Rica

A lot of the tuna caught in Costa Rica (allegedly up to 90%) is exported to other countries, principally Ecuador. That is one of the reasons why Laura Chinchilla just announced on May 7th new guidelines and regulations will be initialized on tuna fishing in the waters of the Pacific Ocean. “Addressing the seas is not an easy task. If we do not start bringing order to the seas of Costa Rica we will end in tragedy”, Chinchilla stated. Two areas have been established as protected areas. The fishing with longline vessels will be prohibited in those areas. But it has also been stated that the use of purse seine fishing is not prohibited: According to Mary Virginia Cajiao, former executive secretary of the National Commission of Marine Affairs (CONAMAR), “Where there are threats of shortages for domestic industry, exceptionally, purse seiners will be given permission- through INCOPESCA (Instituto Costarricense de Pesca y Aguacultura) technical approach- to fish for a certain time and with a specific quota”.

Though up to 12 miles from the coast, only Costa Rican boats can fish, after that they have to compete with international fleets that are technologically and quality wise far more advanced than them. So it is important to not only protect the area close to the coast, but also the open waters.

On another note, mercury levels 30 to 50% higher than the federal limit have been proven in canned tuna from Costa Rica, Ecuador and Mexico. Mercury leads, as stated above, to heart, brain and kidney damage in adults and learning disabilities and developmental disorders in children. Apparently, “light” tuna contains more of this toxic material than “normal” one. In the States, people have been warned about eating canned tuna from Latin America.


4. What YOU can do

  1. Prefer tuna carrying the MSC-seal
    MSC (Marine Stewardship Council) give their seal according to three principles to fisheries (independent of their size, status or quota):
    • Protecting fish populations,
    • Having minimal impact on the ecosystem,
    • Responsible and effective management

  2. If you don’t find any tuna with the MSC- seal, buy tuna that says “caught by pole/line” or “FAD-free caught”- according to WWF the only two justifiable ways of fishing.

  3. Treat it as a rare delicacy

  4. Cut down on sushi.

  5. Pay attention to where your fish comes from; if possible, only buy from local small fisheries. Educate yourself, for example through the WWF and Greenpeace Shopping Guides.

  6. Support this campaign for sustainable fishing that focuses on sea turtles: sialapescasostenible.com!

Download this article as pdf: download here

5. Some Literature and further information

http://www.wwf.de/aktiv-werden/tipps-fuer-den-alltag/vernuenftig-einkaufen/einkaufsratgeber-fisch/delfinfreundlicher-gefanger-fisch-und-hauptproblem-der-heutigen-thunfisch-fischerei/
http://www.wwf.de/fileadmin/fm-wwf/Publikationen-PDF/Greenpeace_International_and_WWF_joint_statement_on_the_AIDCP.pdf
http://www.wwf.de/themen-projekte/artenlexikon/thunfische/
http://www.wwf.de/2014/maerz/piratenfischerei-wwf-begruesst-rote-liste-fuer-fischimporte/
http://www.greenpeace.de/sites/www.greenpeace.de/files/Report_Illegal_gefangener_Thunfisch_0.pdf

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