Fishing & Farming
practices
Following the development of new fishing
technologies and preserving processes in the 1960s, including longlines, purse
seines, and freezing equipment, the international market for both canned and
fresh tuna rose dramatically, leading to an increase in fishing of Bluefin tuna
worldwide (WWF). Since then, even more technology has been appropriated to use
towards Bluefin fishing, including spotter planes and sonar equipment, to accommodate
for the increasing Japanese Bluefin market, which is responsible for 40% of the
world’s Bluefin consumption (WWF).
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| Graph from Matz, detailing total catch of Bluefin tuna by gear type since 1950. This graph shows a significant increase in fishing over the years, particularly using purse seine. |
In the 1990s, Bluefin tuna farms emerged,
which serve as fattening pens for live-caught tuna and provided cheaper Bluefin
tuna, increasing demand further and thus increasing fishing as well (Matz). Since
these farms are using live-caught tuna, it’s difficult to keep track of how
many tuna are transferred between commercial fishing boats and the boats that
take them to various farms/fisheries worldwide. Furthermore, some countries
such as China or Southeast Asian countries are less strict with their port regulations,
which means that it’s very possible that they accept illegally caught Bluefin tuna
(WWF).
