Would
you eat a panda burger or a tiger steak? – I would hope the answer is “No! Pandas
and tigers are not only cute, but critically endangered – eating them would be
wrong!”
Yet,
in Britain we consume tons and tons of tuna fish every single day.
Tuna
may not be ‘cute’ in the traditional sense, but they are impressive creatures –
some species can grow up to 15 feet in length, live for up to 50 years, and
they are one of the fastest-swimming fish, reaching speeds of up to 50 miles per hour. According to the United Nations Food and
Agriculture Organisation, most tuna stocks are fully exploited (meaning
increasing fishing quotas is not an option) and some are overexploited (meaning
there is a risk the tuna stocks will become critically endangered and eventually
extinct).
But
in the case of tuna, there is still more to be done.
What is the problem?
The
demand for tuna (particularly in the USA and UK) is huge and overfishing is a
big concern. The biggest problem occurs when purse seine nets and fish
aggregating devices (FADS) are used – fish caught using this method tend to be
smaller, and we all know that animals killed before being given the chance to
mature and reproduce causes population decline. Another issue associated with
these methods is the large quantities of bycatch. Greenpeace produced a
shocking video about bycatch which you can view here: https://youtu.be/_JgwL0ohvXA
Also, many
people do not realise there are several different species of tuna, and one in
particular is getting very close to extinction - Bluefin tuna is used for
sushi and sashimi, and is a high-valued delicacy, costing tens of thousands of
pounds for a full grown fish. You can’t buy bluefin tuna in tins, you will only
come across it in high-end sushi restaurants. If you ever see bluefin tuna on a
menu please do not order it, and better still, explain to the restaurant owners
why! If we don’t stop fishing bluefin tuna it will go extinct, and this could
be in as little as a few years.
Dolphin Safe is not safe enough!
We’re used to seeing the ‘Dolphin-Friendly’ logo on tinned tuna
in the UK, but unfortunately it’s a bit of a red-herring! Most of the tinned
tuna in the UK is skipjack tuna, which doesn’t even swim with dophins, so of
course it is dolphin safe! People feel reassured buying ‘dolphin-friendly’
tuna, but what the logo doesn’t show you is whether the tuna came from
overexploited stocks, or if it was caught with purse seine nets and FADS which
may kill sharks, rays, turtles and other fish.
What can I do?
- Stop eating tuna! There are plenty of alternative tinned fish
products on the market – try salmon, sardines, or anchovies. And here is a
great recipe for a vegetarian alternative to tuna – Chickpeas of the Sea! The
recipe is American but it could be easily adapted for use in the UK.
- If you can’t resist a tuna mayo sandwich, the most important
thing to look out for is the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) logo on tins, or a
statement that the tuna is pole and line caught skipjack tuna (the most
sustainable fishing method, and the least threatened tuna species). If there is no information on the tin about the
species of tuna or how it was caught, don’t buy it!
- Check out Greenpeace’s tuna league tables for the best and worst products on the market (information
valid as of 2014) - to summarise - Sainsbury’s is best: their
own brand tuna is 100% pole and line caught. ¾
of the tuna they sell (regardless of brand) is sustainable, more than any other
supermarket. They also use only sustainable tuna for other own brand products
such as sandwiches and salads. Princes and John West are the worst as
they both still use FADS, though they have made commitments to phase these out.
*PLEASE NOTE THAT SINCE THIS LEAGUE TABLE WAS PUBLISHED ORIENTAL & PACIFIC COMMITED
TO USING 100% SUSTAINABLY CAUGHT TUNA BY APRIL 2015.*
- For my friends in the USA – here’s one for you!
- Even better than supermarket brands is ‘fish4ever’ tuna. In their own words: “Fish4Ever is an action
brand. We will continue to campaign for better fishing and a fairer world but
in the meantime our promise to you is simply "good canned fish".” It
can be difficult to get hold of, but you can check here to see if there is a
stockist near you!
