How sustainable is the tuna fishing industry?

Tuna is a crucial resource that several countries and economies rely on, with the potential of generating billions of dollars in revenue. However, rising demand for seafood, coupled with an industry fraught with problems from overfishing, bycatch, and illegal fishing activity, has put irrevocable pressure on tuna stocks. The sustainability of the tuna fishing industry is becoming a popular topic among environmentalists, scientists, and fishing communities. This article examines the current status of the tuna fishing industry, outlines the environmental and social impacts associated with unsustainable fishing practices, and concludes with recommendations to ensure the sustainability of the industry.

Overview of the Tuna Fishing Industry

Tuna fisheries are managed by regional fishery management organizations (RFMOs) that regulate international fishing policies in different seas and oceans. The major species of tuna fish are bluefin tuna, yellowfin tuna, skipjack tuna, and albacore tuna.

The global tuna market was worth $32.2 billion in 2010, and this value has only continued to grow in recent years. Globally, tuna catches have risen by 60 percent since 1990, and the global catch rate rose by 4 percent from 2014 to 2016. The tuna fishing industry supports approximately 3 million people directly or indirectly, with the major tuna fishing countries being Japan, Taiwan, South Korea, Spain, Indonesia, and the United States. These countries exploit different tuna species, and the fishing techniques vary from using pole and line to purse seiners, longliners, FADs, and trolling.

The demand for protein sources, including seafood, is increasing as the world population continues to grow, which exacerbates the need to ensure that the tuna fishing industry is sustainable in the long run.

Environmental Impacts of Unsustainable Tuna Fishing Practices

Overfishing and Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated (IUU) Fishing

Overfishing is the biggest challenge facing the tuna fishing industry, as most tuna species grow slowly, mature late, and have long lifespans. The IUU fishing practice contributes to the depletion of tuna stock globally. Legal fishing quotas, regulations, and protections against unsustainable fishing practices such as IUU fishing have failed to safeguard against overfishing.

Illegal fishing practices include fishing without a license, over-quota fishing, transshipment by illegal vessels at sea, and under-reporting catches. IUU fishing is estimated to be responsible for about a quarter of the total global catch of tuna.

Bycatch

Bycatch is an environmental issue caused by the use of different fishing techniques, which also affects the sustainability of the tuna fishing industry. Bycatch is the incidental capture of non-targeted marine species, including endangered species such as sharks, billfish, and turtles.

The tuna fishing industry has developed several practices to reduce bycatch, such as implementing seasonal closures, using circle hooks, and employing mesh panels to reduce the number of bycatch species caught in fishing operations. However, these measures have not been effective enough to protect bycatch species, and the number of untargeted marine species killed in tuna fishing is still too high. Moreover, overfishing and depletion of tuna stock exacerbate bycatch.

Harmful Fishing Techniques

Purse seining and the use of Fish Aggregating Devices (FADs) are popular fishing techniques in the tuna fishing industry. However, these methods have significant impacts on the marine ecosystem.

Purse seining involves using a giant net to encircle schools of tuna and then winching the net shut, capturing the entire school of fish. Schools of juvenile fish and other non-targeted species and bycatch species can also be captured. FADs are devices placed in the ocean to attract tuna schools, but these devices can attract other marine species that include sharks and mantas.

Social Impacts of Unsustainable Tuna Fishing Practices

The depletion of tuna stocks affects various communities, particularly fishing communities. Fishing communities depend heavily on the fishing industry for their livelihoods, meaning that the depletion of tuna stocks affects their economic well-being. Additionally, the socioeconomic impacts of overfishing and unsustainable fishing practices on small-scale fishing communities can be devastating to the households and communities dependent on tuna fishing. Depletion of tuna stocks can lead to a rise in the price of tuna, making it difficult for many consumers to afford. A shortage of tuna can create food security issues for people worldwide who survive off the fisheries or tuna products.

Recommendations for a More Sustainable Tuna Fishing Industry

The tuna fishing industry needs a new approach to ensure its sustainability in the long term.

1. Reduce the commercial catch of bluefin tuna, especially through an effective, enforceable international monitoring mechanism.
2. Implement stricter monitoring and official reporting of catches to curb IUU fishing practices, including sharing of information of fishing practices through information-sharing networks such as the Global Record of Fishing Vessels.
3. Encourage the use of more sustainable fishing practices like pole and line fishing, rather than purse seines and FADs.
4. Establish more marine protected areas, including no-take protected areas in the Eastern Pacific, where tuna spawn.
5. Strengthen at-sea monitoring programs to reduce bycatch, including additional observers on vessels.
6. Build robust national and regional tracking systems to maintain transparency, traceability, and accountability within the tuna fishing industry.

Implementing these recommendations for a more sustainable tuna fishing industry will require collaboration and commitment from all stakeholders- governments, the private sector, and local communities- to take responsibility for protecting the long-term sustainability of the fishing industry and the marine ecosystem.

Conclusion

The sustainability of marine ecosystems and resources in seas and oceans is crucial, particularly as the world continues to develop and grow. It is every stakeholder’s responsibility to ensure the sustainability of the tuna fishing industry. Consumers need to empower themselves with sustainable consumption choices and support fishing practices that are environmentally and socially responsible. Policymakers need constantly to monitor tuna fishing practices and techniques and develop innovative approaches to ensure the sustainability of the fishing industry.