Tuna

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

WHAT WWF IS DOING

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.

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.

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

Sign the RFMO appeal letter

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

Latest News

WWF and Finance Earth Launch a New Model for Financing Fisheries Improvement

Sustainable finance is critical to scaling the transition towards more sustainable fisheries. New sustainable, efficient, equitable, and cost-effective models are needed to lead the way towards the establishment of a sustainable blue economy. To respond to this need, World Wildlife Fund (WWF), in partnership with Finance Earth (FE) and through a multi-stakeholder collaboration, designed and launched a new financing mechanism aimed at fishery transition. Finance Earth, a leading impact investment advisory and fund manager with a track record in break-through social and environmental financing models, will establish and manage this new mechanism – the Fisheries Improvement Fund (FIF). The ambition is to catalyze more than $100 million in investment in fisheries improvement by 2030. This model, designed in collaboration with leading industry players, will unlock new pathways to fund global fisheries recovery at a scale that can match the size of the challenge.

World Wildlife Fund and Amyris Team Up to Leverage Science to Protect Sharks

World Wildlife Fund (WWF) and Amyris, a leading synthetic biology company, announced a new three-year partnership aimed at leveraging science to protect ocean biodiversity with an initial focus on shark populations. This new partnership will support WWF’s global efforts to reverse the downward trends that threaten biodiversity and human well-being by repairing, restoring, and protecting the oceans.

Peru Mahi Alliance Launches at SENA with Support from Major US Buyers

The Peru Mahi Alliance (PMA), a pre-competitive partnership of 13 Peruvian mahi mahi companies, will be launched officially on March 14th at the Seafood Expo North America (SENA) in Boston, with the presence of major U.S. buyer companies. PMA represents almost 80% of Peru’s mahi mahi exports to the US and is committed to advancing the Peru mahi mahi Fishery Improvement Project (FIP) through activity implementation, political advocacy efforts, and funding.