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Future-Proofing Tuna Production

Tunas are among the most commercially valuable fish on the planet caught by small scale and industrial fishers. They support people across the globe not only by enriching coastal communities with jobs, but also by providing an affordable source of protein and nutrients for consumption. But many of the world’s valuable tuna species face several urgent yet common threats, such as: overfishing, inadequate monitoring of fishing activities, mortality of non-tuna species (e.g., sharks, turtles, seabirds) from bycatch, and illegal fishing. While progress has been made over the past decade, among the seven principal tuna species, 61.3% of the stocks were estimated to be fished at biologically sustainable levels in 2023.

As the methods of catching tuna have advanced over the years, the conservation and management of tuna has not evolved as quickly. Market demand for tuna remains high, and there are many factors that need to be addressed.

To protect the future of these apex predators that underpin the ecosystems and economies of which they are a part, WWF is working with companies to source tuna responsibly, understand the origin of their products, and obtain market-based support to augment WWF’s global advocacy priorities.

Through work on the Global FIP Alliance for Sustainable Tuna (G-FAST) project, WWF supported improvements among 170 major tuna purse seiners representing 20% of global tuna catch

© Brian J. Skerry / National Geographic Stock / WWF

WHAT WWF IS DOING


© Jürgen Freund / WWF


Addressing Conservation at Scale

Conserving the world’s tuna populations, and protecting the species that swim alongside them, requires addressing the greatest strain on populations – overfishing. WWF has adopted a combination of economic incentive-based tools and policy reforms that engages industry at several points in the value chain to drive change, advocates for improved management with governments and regional management bodies, partners with stakeholders to build technical capacity in developing countries, and supports innovation to cost effectively address conservation at scale.

© Kyle LaFerriere / WWF-US


Improving Fishing Practices

While we are still using Fishery Improvement Projects (FIPs) to advance fishery performance of tuna fisheries to meet the requirements of the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) standard, we are also collaborating with the other NGOs to establish guidance for improvements. These include aligned guidance on responsible use of fish aggregating devices, improved at-sea transshipment, and improved data and transparency.

© Bruno Arnold / WWF


Increasing the Volume of Certified Product

WWF has spent the last decade helping to organize the tuna industry around a set of common objectives to improve conservation and management with an initial goal of meeting the MSC standard. Our progress to date includes creating a framework for change that can now be used to expand and scale efforts. Through work on the Global FIP Alliance for Sustainable Tuna (G-FAST) project, WWF supported improvements among 170 major tuna purse seiners representing 20% of global tuna catch.

Several of our past WWF supported tuna Fishery Improvement Projects are now in full assessment for the MSC standard or MSC certified.

In 2023, nearly 49% of global tuna catch for the four major market species of tuna is MSC certified or in full MSC assessment.

ADDITIONAL ACTIONS TO SUPPORT WWF’S PRIORITIES

Our progress to date includes creating a framework for change that can be used to expand and scale tuna conservation efforts
WWF asks that companies support market-based advocacy by joining other industry leaders to address critical issues for tuna conservation and sign on to the NGO Tuna Forum annual appeal letter that is sent to delegates of the four tuna Regional Fisheries Management Organizations (RFMOs).
Email Michael.Griff@nullwwfus.org to learn more
Make responsible sourcing decisions 
To ensure the long-term sustainability of tuna stocks, WWF asks that companies make responsible sourcing decisions by sourcing from MSC certified tuna fisheries or at second best, from fisheries in transition to responsibly caught tuna. 
Set and annouce time-bound goals
Set and announce time-bound goals and develop internal timeline with key milestones. 

TUNA RESOURCES


Tuna Procurement Guidelines

Guidelines intended to provide a stepwise process to support tuna purchasers move toward sustainably sourced tuna product.

Sustainable Seafood Sourcing Recommendations: Fisheries

A tiered stepwise approach to engaging fisheries in their transition to sustainability.

How to Support Fishery Improvement Projects

What a FIP is, why you should support a FIP, what it means to be a FIP participant, and a list of tools to help establish a FIP if one does not already exist.

Fishery Improvement Project Fact Sheet

How a FIP works: the stepwise approach to identify sustainability issues in a fishery, implement improvements, and report on results.How a FIP works: the stepwise approach to identify sustainability issues in a fishery, implement improvements, and report on results.

FisheryProgress.org Brochure

About FisheryProgress.org, the fishery improvement project progress tracking website.

For additional helpful resources, please visit our Resource Library

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