Food - Drink
Is Tuna A Sustainable Seafood?
By CHRIS SANDS
Tuna makes a great sandwich, is delicious in salads, and provides a memorable main course when served in steak or sesame-crusted medallion form. The myriad ways that tuna can be prepared and its widespread consumption by people who eat it regularly raise questions about its long-term sustainability.
According to the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), there are five species of tuna that are commonly fished commercially: skipjack, yellowfin, bigeye, albacore, and bluefin. As WWF observes, several members of the tuna family have experienced overfishing in specific ocean habitats.
Because of the importance of tuna, both as a food source and as an industry, there are national and international organizations involved in the sustainable management of tuna stocks. According to NOAA, three of the five commonly fished tuna species are being sustainably managed, and overall, global tuna numbers are strong.