World Tuna Day is established by the United Nations to raise awareness about the importance of Tuna fish and also to promote sustainable fishing practices. It is observed annually on the 2nd of May. According to the United Nations, most of the countries depend on tuna fish for food safety and nutrition, economic growth, employment, livelihoods, and culture on thunder resources as it is used in many countries around the world. There are more than 80 countries that have tuna fisheries and their capacity for fishing is constantly increasing.
Promoting Sustainable Tuna Fishing
In December 2016, the United Nations General Assembly voted to formally observe World Tuna Day in the Resolution 71/124. This move highlights the importance of environmental management to ensure that there are measures in the place to avoid the loss of tuna stocks. This means that reaching and working on SDG “Goal 14: conserve and sustainably use of the oceans, seas and marine resources can help in considering the global tuna market.
In both developed and developing countries the Tuna and Tuna like species are very important for our economy as they are important sources of food. Approximately 40 tuna and tuna-like species occur in the Atlantic Oceans, the Indian Ocean, and the Pacific Sea.
Theme of World Tuna Day 2023
This year the theme of World Tuna Day 2023 is Yes We Can.
About Tuna Fish
Tuna is a remarkable warm blood fish; they can jump high out of the water and can travel in huge groups. These fish are also known for dolphin protection from sharks by making a team. Tuna fish is considered for their nutritional properties their meat contains Omega-3 with minerals, proteins and Vitamin B12. The fish are threatened by the overwhelming demand.
The annual harvest of Tuna and tuna like species is estimated to be about 7 million of tons. This migratory tuna species constitute 20% of the value of all marine fishing and 8% of all global marine seafood. With this information it is important to recognize the crucial role of tuna and tuna like species for sustainable development, food safety, economic opportunities and livelihoods worldwide.
The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization states that the global demand for tuna remains strong and that tuna fishing fleets remain significant over-capacity. In the most recent report of 2018, the FAO reported that about 7.5 million tons of tuna and tuna species in 2016 after the all-times high of 7.7 million tons in 2014. Though with this slight reduction, effective management is still needed to restore overfished stocks, including tuna.
The Environmental organizations such as the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) have warned about the threat to some tuna types, such as Bluefin. Owing to overfishing, Bluefin stocks have declined by over 96 percent over unfished rates in the Northern Pacific Ocean, a 2013 stock assessment revealed.
More than 96 countries are currently engaged in the protection and management of tuna with an annual value of almost 10 billion USD on landing, and some FAO projects have begun to show positive effects on overfishing reductions.
Swikriti Dandotia
