The Life of Tuna

Life Cycle:
How is the Product Used: The product is used as a source of protein and can be served fresh or
more commonly canned.
How are the Materials Harvested and Prepared: Tune must be fish out of the ocean by large
boats. Some tuna fisheries use longlines which are huges strands of nylon with thousands of bait hooks on
them. These are trailed behind the boat and then reeled in. This leads to bycatching, where other marine
animals such as dolphins, porpoises, and sea turtles being caught and then discarded, left to die in the
ocean. The other method is lowering large nets into the oceans (purse seining) and then raising them to
catch the tuna. This also leads to bycatching.
Source: Independent UK. (2009, November 21). What's The Catch? Is Albacore Tuna truly sustainable?
Retrieved June 3, 2016, from http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/food-and-drink/features/whats-the-catchis-albacore-tuna-truly-sustainable-1824074.html
How are People Involved:People are needed to fish the tuna out of the ocean and then move it
into freezing tanks. This tuna is then shipped to canneries and processing facilities where its butchered
and packed by workers to be sold.
What Packaging and Shipping is Needed: Tuna is then either vacuum sealed into cans to sent
fresh to restaurants or fish markets. Tuna is shipped all over the world but normally reaches its
destination in large fishing frigates.
Source: World Wildlife Foundation. (n.d.). Tuna. Retrieved June 7, 2016, from
http://www.worldwildlife.org/species/tuna
Is this Globalized?: Lots of tuna is harvested in Thailand or off the coast of the USA. Tuna is
sold all over the world but the main importers are Japan, the USA, Canada, and India.
Source: Trade-Seafood Industry Directory. (n.d.). Importers / Buyers of Tuna. Retrieved June 7,
2016, from http://www.trade-seafood.com/directory/seafood/tuna-importers.htm

Environment:
Hormones: Most tuna are caught wild and thus arent injected with hormones however, there is
more sustainable farm raised tuna. This tuna often is given hormones to make it reproduce faster. This
doesnt general bioaccumulate in human but scientist worry that it will hurt the bluefins natural
reproduction and their ability to migrate.

Source: Magazine, P. (2009, March 24). Farm-raised bluefin tuna spawn controversy. Retrieved June
7, 2016, from http://www.mnn.com/earth-matters/wilderness-resources/stories/farm-raised-bluefin-tunaspawn-controversy
Water: Tuna are apart of the oceans ecosystem and their population helps keep other populations
in check so they dont decimate the oceans plant life. The tuna population is important to water quality
because the oceans fishes are important for the health of coral and other sea plants which clean the ocean.
Source: Montaigne, F. (n.d.). Fisheries, Fishing, Bluefin Tuna, Oceans- National Geographic.
Retrieved June 7, 2016, from http://ocean.nationalgeographic.com/ocean/global-fish-crisis-article/
Source: World Wildlife Foundation. (n.d.). Pollution. Retrieved June 8, 2016, from
http://www.worldwildlife.org/threats/pollution

Economics:
How is it marketed to the consumer? Do companies advertise the whole product
accurately?: Tuna isnt as often advertised on tv or the internet but they do exist. There arent advertised
as much because it has its place as the cheapest staple fish. Furthermore most ads talk about the health
benefits or deliciousness of tuna. Most ads ignore the unsustainability and the harmful effects of mercury
in the fish.
Source: Hedlund, S. (2011, January 11). Canned-tuna marketing campaign launched. Retrieved June
7, 2016, from http://www.seafoodsource.com/news/foodservice-retail/canned-tuna-marketing-campaignlaunched
Is It Sustainable?: Tuna is not a sustainable resource. We are overfishing them due to the large
demand and many fishing industries take advantage of the high price for yellowfin tuna. The fisheries
make a profit but the tunas population is dropping. Tunas the most canned fish in the world but 3 of the
four tuna fish found in the majority of grocery stores are endangered. Not only that, but the large nets
used to catch Tuna also often catch other protected fish such as dolphins. Often the other fish are injured
and are left to die. We dont eat tiger or elephant meat because they are protected, why are fish not?
Source:Greenpeace Canada. (n.d.). Tuna. Retrieved June 2, 2016, from
http://www.greenpeace.org/canada/en/campaigns/ocean/Tuna/
Furthermore, in a single generation, mankind has wiped out 90% of the earths supply of fish. Tuna is
some of the most overfished creature in the world. In another generation, if we continue at this rate, only
1 of the 4 species of tuna will be left in the ocean, the albacore. Certain tuna meat if viewed as a delicacy
due to its melt-in-the-mouth quality and is sought all over the world for hundreds of dollars a bite. The
tuna used to make this, the bluefin, is now critically endangered.
Source:Independent UK. (2009, November 21). What's The Catch? Is Albacore Tuna truly
sustainable? Retrieved June 3, 2016, from http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/food-anddrink/features/whats-the-catch-is-albacore-tuna-truly-sustainable-1824074.html

Social:
Human Health - How and where do we consume this product? Are there health implications
or benefits?: Tuna is also dangerous to human health when consumed in large amounts. When we pollut
into the air or dump toxins into rivers often poisonous mercury finds its way into the ocean and is
absorbed by the fish through bioaccumulation. Due to their place at the top of the food chain, this means
that Tuna has the most heavy metals of the majority of fish. The Environmental Defense Fund suggests
that children 6-12 should only eat Tuna 2-4 times a month to not risk mercury poisoning or saturation.
Mercury may have toxic effects on the nervous, digestive and immune systems, and on lungs, kidneys,
skin and eyes.

Source:Environmental Defense Fund. (n.d.). Mercury alert: Is canned tuna safe to eat? Retrieved June
2, 2016, from https://www.edf.org/oceans/mercury-alert-canned-tuna-safe-eat
Source:World Health Organization UN. (2016, January). Mercury and health. Retrieved June 3, 2016,
from http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs361/en/

Human Rights:Often there isnt enough regulation in the tuna industry. Companies such as Thai
Union have been found to have human trafficking, frequent abuse, and even murder aboard poorly
regulated fishing boats. This isnt unique to Thai Union and often the tuna industry have been responsible
for hurting human rights.
Source:Knowles, O. (2015, October 23). The Fight to Change the Tuna Industry Is a Fight for People
and Planet. Retrieved June 3, 2016, from http://voices.nationalgeographic.com/2015/10/23/the-fight-tochange-the-tuna-industry-is-a-fight-for-people-and-planet/
Furthermore,

Cost: Tuna are our most commercially valuable fish and due to the lack of sustainability scientist
predict an economic stock collapse in the tuna market and a loss of a staple food.
Source:World Wildlife Foundation. (n.d.). Tuna. Retrieved June 7, 2016, from
http://www.worldwildlife.org/species/tuna
One Bluefin tuna can reach a price from between $70,000 and 2 million dollars.
Source: Narula, S. K. (2014, January 5). Sushinomics: How Bluefin Tuna Became a Million-Dollar
Fish. Retrieved June 7, 2016, from http://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2014/01/sushinomicshow-bluefin-tuna-became-a-million-dollar-fish/282826/
However canned tuna at stores like wal-mart (its cheaper because instead of being the elusive
yellowtail or bluefin it is albacore or more common tuna) is an average of 3$ in the supermarket. This makes
tuna a high protein staple for lower income families, despite the fact that its harvesting is unsustainable are
harmful.

Source: Iowa State University. (n.d.). Cost of Canned Fish. Retrieved June 7, 2016, from
http://www.extension.iastate.edu/foodsavings/content/cost-canned-fish

Script:
The life of a Tuna, the chickens of the sea.Tunas are some of the most commercially
valuable fish in the ocean and the main four species are sold as food all over the world. Tunas are
marine predators so they play important roles the the oceans ecosystem by keeping the
populations of other small prey fish in check.
Tuna are harvested using either longlines or purse seining. Longlining is when long lines
of nylon rope are trailed behind boats with thousands of hooks on them, these are used to catch
tunas but also end up catching other things like sea turtles. Purse seining is when large nets are
lowered into the ocean and then closed around shoals of tuna, this also causes bycatch. The tuna
is then moved and frozen till its taken to a factory where humans gut and butcher it.
The fish is then packed into cans or sold fresh all over the world to main buyers like the
US, Canada, Japan, and China. Companies make ads to get us out to the supermarket to buy tuna
and its working. Tuna is a main protein staple and the average can costs only around $3. On the
flipside, some tuna is a delicacy and one fish is sold from between 70,000 to 2 million dollars.
But tuna has some dark secrets. The biggest being its unsustainability. Humans frequently
overfished tuna.Tuna is one of the most overfished creature in the world. In another generation,
if we continue at this rate, only 1 of the 4 species of tuna will be left in the ocean, the albacore.
The tuna used to make this, the bluefin, is now critically endangered. You wouldnt eat a giant
panda, but people line up to eat bluefin.
The tuna industry is also rampant with human rights violations. Companies such as Thai
Union have been found to have human trafficking, frequent abuse, and even murder aboard
poorly regulated fishing boats.
Lastly breeding hormones are used on tuna to make them reproduce faster but scientist worry
that it will hurt the bluefins natural reproduction and their ability to migrate.
Continue eating tuna, its still good in sandwiches, but think about whats in your
sandwich next time and how this affects this fish.
References

Environmental Defense Fund. (n.d.). Mercury alert: Is canned tuna safe to eat? Retrieved June 2,
2016, from https://www.edf.org/oceans/mercury-alert-canned-tuna-safe-eat
Greenpeace Canada. (n.d.). Tuna. Retrieved June 2, 2016, from
http://www.greenpeace.org/canada/en/campaigns/ocean/Tuna/
Hedlund, S. (2011, January 11). Canned-tuna marketing campaign launched. Retrieved June 7,
2016, from http://www.seafoodsource.com/news/foodservice-retail/canned-tunamarketing-campaign-launched
Idependent UK. (2009, November 21). What's The Catch? Is Albacore Tuna truly sustainable?
Retrieved June 3, 2016, from http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/food-anddrink/features/whats-the-catch-is-albacore-tuna-truly-sustainable-1824074.html
Iowa State University. (n.d.). Cost of Canned Fish. Retrieved June 7, 2016, from
http://www.extension.iastate.edu/foodsavings/content/cost-canned-fish
Knowles, O. (2015, October 23). The Fight to Change the Tuna Industry Is a Fight for People
and Planet. Retrieved June 3, 2016, from
http://voices.nationalgeographic.com/2015/10/23/the-fight-to-change-the-tuna-industry-isa-fight-for-people-and-planet/
Magazine, P. (2009, March 24). Farm-raised bluefin tuna spawn controversy. Retrieved June 7,
2016, from http://www.mnn.com/earth-matters/wilderness-resources/stories/farm-raisedbluefin-tuna-spawn-controversy
Montaigne, F. (n.d.). Fisheries, Fishing, Bluefin Tuna, Oceans- National Geographic. Retrieved
June 7, 2016, from http://ocean.nationalgeographic.com/ocean/global-fish-crisis-article/
Narula, S. K. (2014, January 5). Sushinomics: How Bluefin Tuna Became a Million-Dollar Fish.
Retrieved June 7, 2016, from

http://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2014/01/sushinomics-how-bluefin-tunabecame-a-million-dollar-fish/282826/
Trade-Seafood Industry Directory. (n.d.). Importers / Buyers of Tuna. Retrieved June 7, 2016,
from http://www.trade-seafood.com/directory/seafood/tuna-importers.htm
World Health Organization UN. (2016, January). Mercury and health. Retrieved June 3, 2016,
from http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs361/en/
World Wildlife Foundation. (n.d.). Pollution. Retrieved June 8, 2016, from
http://www.worldwildlife.org/threats/pollution
World Wildlife Foundation. (n.d.). Tuna. Retrieved June 7, 2016, from
http://www.worldwildlife.org/species/tuna
World Wildlife Foundation. (n.d.). Tuna. Retrieved June 7, 2016, from
http://www.worldwildlife.org/species/tuna