Atlantic Bluefin Tuna Welfare in Commercial Fisheries

Examining the welfare implications of catching and handling one of the ocean's most powerful fish in commercial and farming operations.

Key Facts

Atlantic bluefin tuna are among the largest and fastest fish in the ocean, reaching 680kg
They have regional endothermy allowing them to maintain higher body temperatures than surrounding water
Capture by purse seine nets causes extreme stress, injury, and high mortality in bycatch species
Farms using net pens capture wild juveniles and grow them in intensive conditions
Carbon dioxide stunning before slaughter is being adopted for improved welfare at harvest
Tuna are highly sentient fish with complex behavioral repertoires and significant cognitive abilities

Welfare Considerations

Bluefin tuna present unique welfare challenges given their extraordinary physiological adaptations and large size. As active, wide-ranging predators, confinement in farm net pens causes chronic stress and stereotypic swimming behavior. Capture methods including purse seining are highly stressful, and handling during transfer to farms causes significant injury. Improved stunning methods at slaughter represent a meaningful welfare advance, but attention to welfare throughout the production cycle - from capture to harvest - is needed. Their sentience and sophisticated behavior demand serious consideration of their suffering.

What You Can Do

Choose certified sustainable tuna products that address welfare alongside environmental concerns
Support certification schemes that include welfare standards for tuna farms
Advocate for improved tuna welfare regulations covering capture, transport, and slaughter
Reduce tuna consumption given the combined welfare and environmental impacts of tuna fishing