Good News: Some Tuna Recovering From Overfishing

By Mark J. Palmer

The International Marine Mammal Project (IMMP) of Earth Island Institute established the Dolphin Safe tuna program in 1990 to stop the slaughter of tens of thousands of dolphins annually. More than seven million dolphins had been killed by the tuna fishing industry through the practice of deliberately chasing, netting and drowning dolphins in order to catch the tuna that swim beneath them.

Our original Dolphin Safe standards were simple: Don’t set nets on dolphins to catch tuna. There are many other methods that can catch tuna, and today around 95% of the world tuna industry practices Dolphin Safe fishing methods as part of IMMP’s program.

In the late 1980s, as IMMP was conducting our campaign for dolphins, government observers reported annual deaths at 80,000 to 100,000 dolphins every year. Today, official counts are under 1,000 dolphins annually, killed by vessels from Mexico, Colombia, and Venezuela as these countries ignore Dolphin Safe tuna restrictions. It is very likely the deaths are higher than reported for these dolphin-deadly vessels.

Interestingly, Dolphin Safe has also helped tuna. Many believe IMMP’s Dolphin Safe standards only allude to protecting dolphins, but our standards also call for much more, such as live release of any entangled sea turtles and sharks and a prohibition for cooperating companies against fishing in marine protected areas such as the Galapagos Islands.

Recently, the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN), an association of thousands of biologists from around the world who study the status of endangered species of plants and animals, released a major update of their listing of species in trouble, called the Red List.

While many species remain in peril, the IUCN found good news regarding the status of tuna species in the ocean. Many non-profit organizations and governments have contributed to the recovery of tuna populations, but none more than IMMP.

According to National Geographic and based on extensive research, the IUCN found that four tuna species have improved dramatically in numbers: the Atlantic bluefin tuna (Thunnus thynnus), southern bluefin tuna (Thunnus maccoyii), albacore tuna (Thunnus alalunga) and yellowfin tuna (Thunnus albacares). The southern bluefin tuna (Thunnus maccoyii) has improved from “critically endangered” to “endangered,” while bigeye tuna (Thunnus obesus) will remain at a status of vulnerable, and skipjack tuna (Katsuwonus pelamis) maintains its status of least concern.

Bluefin tuna are not used for canned tuna and instead are targeted by fishers for restaurants and sushi bars. But skipjack, albacore and yellowfin tuna, now considered by the IUCN as species of least concern, are staples of canned tuna.

The most dramatic change in tuna sustainability occurred with the adoption of IMMP’s Dolphin Safe standards. Yellowfin tuna in the Eastern Tropical Pacific often swim with dolphin pods. With the 1990 Dolphin Safe standards in place, many canned tuna fishers switched to catching skipjack tuna, an abundant species that reproduces quickly and never associates with dolphins. The canned “light meat” tuna you see in stores with a Dolphin Safe label is mostly skipjack tuna, a species which fortunately has never appeared as endangered or vulnerable on the IUCN Red List.

Along with other non-profit organizations, IMMP has also been active in urging better management and lower quotas for tuna fishing around the globe. Most tuna populations, scientists agree, are in stable, sustainable condition, especially skipjack and other species used for canned tuna.

If you buy tuna, IMMP encourages you to buy only tuna listed as Dolphin Safe on IMMP’s website. Dolphin Safe provides protection for dolphins and other marine life, and for sustainable populations of tuna.

The International Marine Mammal Project of Earth Island Institute continues to work with the tuna industry to audit and monitor tuna companies, canneries, vessels and frozen storage warehouses around the world to ensure that tuna is caught by methods that do not harm dolphins and other marine life. Your support is critical to our work for whales, dolphins, and their ocean homes. Please donate today!