WORLD TUNA DAY:

AN OCEAN OF OPPORTUNITIES FOR SUSTAINABLE AND ETHICAL TUNA ALTERNATIVES

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May 2 is World Tuna Day, inaugurated in 2016 by the United Nations in order to raise awareness about the problem of tuna overfishing. The event was initiated by the United Nations General Assembly when it voted in favour of a resolution to create awareness about the global issue of tuna overfishing.

Tuna sandwiches, salads, soups, sushi and more — tuna dishes are among the world’s most popular fish dishes. According to the National Fisheries Institute, canned tuna is the second-most popular seafood product in the US, after shrimp,1)National Fisheries Institute (2023) Tuna facts. Available at: https://aboutseafood.com/tuna-council-3/tuna-facts [24.05.2023] while in the European Union, tuna and tuna-like fish are the most consumed seafood products.2)EUMOFA (2022) The EU fish market. Available at: https://www.eumofa.eu/documents/20178/521182/EFM2022_EN.pdf [25.05.2023] However, the high demand for tuna means that many tuna stocks are exploited to their full capacity and overfished. Every year, more than seven million metric tons of tuna and tuna-like species are caught, with 33% of them being caught at biologically unsustainable levels.3)World Tuna Day, United Nations. Available at: https://www.un.org/en/observances/tuna-day [24.05.2023] Tuna accounts for 20% of the value of the catches of all marine fisheries and over 8% of all seafood traded globally.4)World Tuna Day, United Nations. Available at: https://www.un.org/en/observances/tuna-day [24.05.2023]

References

References
1 National Fisheries Institute (2023) Tuna facts. Available at: https://aboutseafood.com/tuna-council-3/tuna-facts [24.05.2023]
2 EUMOFA (2022) The EU fish market. Available at: https://www.eumofa.eu/documents/20178/521182/EFM2022_EN.pdf [25.05.2023]
3, 4 World Tuna Day, United Nations. Available at: https://www.un.org/en/observances/tuna-day [24.05.2023]