Marine Wildlife

Marine Wildlife: Tuna Ranching Mediterranean Welfare

Mediterranean bluefin tuna ranching involves catching wild fish for fattening in sea cages, raising significant welfare concerns throughout the production process.

Key Facts

Atlantic bluefin tuna are caught from wild schools as juveniles for transfer to sea cages
Wild capture using seine nets causes extreme exertion and injury with high mortality
Tuna are kept in sea cages for months to a year, fed frozen fish to develop flesh condition
Bluefin tuna are highly migratory pelagic fish evolved for constant movement over vast distances
ICCAT quota allocations regulate bluefin tuna catch but welfare standards do not exist

Welfare Considerations

Bluefin tuna ranching involves multiple severe welfare harms - traumatic wild capture with high mortality, confinement in sea cages entirely unsuitable for a highly migratory species, and slaughter practices that are not standardised. Tuna in cages show compromised immune function and stress behaviours. As Atlantic bluefin recover from severe overfishing, establishing welfare standards alongside conservation measures is essential.

What You Can Do

Be aware that Mediterranean farmed bluefin tuna carries significant welfare concerns
Support campaigns for welfare standards in bluefin tuna ranching operations
Advocate for sustainable and welfare-conscious bluefin tuna production methods
Choose sustainable seafood alternatives to farmed bluefin tuna
Support ICCAT management measures that protect wild Atlantic bluefin populations