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Tuna, yellowfin
Thunnus albacares
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BIOLOGY
Tuna belong to the family Scombridae. They are large, oceanic fish and are seasonally migratory, some making trans-oceanic journeys. Yellowfin are found throughout the worlds tropical and subtropical seas, except the Mediterrenean. They often form large, size specific schools, frequently associated with dolphins or floating objects. Yellowfin is a large fast growing species, reaching maximum sizes of 240 cm in length, 200 kg in weight and an age of 8 years. They mature when 2 to 5 years old and mainly spawn in summer. Smaller fish are mainly limited to surface waters while larger fish are found in surface and deeper waters, but rarely below 250 m. Yellowfin has medium resilience to fishing.
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ADVICE
Tuna is highly sought after and forms the basis of many fisheries world-wide. World catches have doubled in the last decade. All 7 commercially fished species are under pressure and 3 are listed by IUCN - the World Conservation Union: Bigeye assessed as Vulnerable; Northern bluefin assessed as Endangered in the east Atlantic and Critically Endangered in the west Atlantic. Also listed by OSPAR as a threatened and declining species; and Southern bluefin assessed as Critically Endangered. Avoid eating all northern and southern bluefin tuna, and all bigeye from the Atlantic and Indian oceans, and Eastern Pacific ocean. Avoid eating Pacific bluefin tuna which also has low resilience to fishing and current rates of fishing are considered unsustainable. Tuna farming or ranching of southern and northern bluefin relies on capture of juveniles from the wild. Avoid eating. Avoid albacore tuna from the Atlantic, Mediterranean and Indian Ocean, instead choose troll or pole& line caught Albacore tuna from the South pacific. There is increasing concern for the Skipjack and yellowfin from the Pacific and Atlantic and skipjack from the Indian oceans; choose Skipjack from the West pacific ocean and increase the sustainability of the tuna you eat from these areas by choosing line (pole and line or handline) or troll-caught (where available) 'dolphin-friendly' fish. For more information on 'dolphin-friendly or safe' tuna certified by the Earth Island Institute see www.dolphinsafe.com. The American Albacore Fishing Association Pacific (North and South) pole and line and troll fishery for Albacore tuna (Thunnus alalunga) is currently undergoing assessment by the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) as an environmentally responsible fishery.
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