Tuna lovers warned about purchases as yellowfin populations are threatened

Emma Gatten
·2 min read
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Shoppers have been warned not to buy tuna caught using fish aggregating devices over concerns about threatened populations of yellowfin in the Indian Ocean.

Tesco, Co-op and Princes have all said in recent weeks they were cutting their intake of yellowfin tuna over worries that governments were not doing enough to ensure sustainable stocks, which could collapse as soon as 2026.

However, yellowfin tuna is only a small fraction of what comes into the UK, and most tinned tuna is skipjack.

Conservationists say that not only is skipjack also being overfished in the area, but methods using fish aggregating devices (FAD) also pick up tons of juvenile yellowfin.

Will McCallum, the head of oceans at Greenpeace UK, said that while companies taking voluntary steps was welcome, “unless they deal with the issue of young yellowfin tuna caught within the skipjack tuna fishery in the same area then they are simply tinkering round the edges.”

He added that “If customers want to avoid buying tuna that could be tainted with overfishing, they would do better to stick to pole and line caught tuna, which should be advertised on the can."

Princes, which announced it would halve its stock of yellowfin tuna, as well as Tesco and Co-Op all say they want the intergovernmental body that oversees fishing in the Indian Ocean to take more action to protect the population.

The Indian Ocean Tuna Commission failed to announce new conservation and management measures at a meeting last month, blaming the coronavirus pandemic.

Maldives, North MalA atoll, MalA, skipjack tuna. Traditional tuna fishing in the Maldives uses pole and line rather than nets. - Getty Images/Getty Images
Maldives, North MalA atoll, MalA, skipjack tuna. Traditional tuna fishing in the Maldives uses pole and line rather than nets. - Getty Images/Getty Images

Tesco said it committed to stop sourcing tuna and billfish from the Indian Ocean for its own brand supply until catch reductions recommended by the IOTC are put in place.

A new report from Blue Marine Foundation, a conservation group, showed the vast majority of yellowfin caught in the Indian Ocean are juveniles.

Both Blue Marine Foundation and Greenpeace have called for an emergency meeting to address overfishing and form a recovery plan for yellowfin populations.

“This meeting must set dramatic reduction targets for the number of fish aggregating devices (FADs) that vessels are allowed to use or the plan will not be effective,” Mr McCallum said.