Bigeye Tuna

Tuna
Bigeye Tuna

Bigeye Tuna

Top
Facts
Why They Matter
Threats
What WWF is Doing
How You Can Help

Facts

Status
Vulnerable
Scientific Name
Thunnus obesus
Weight
up to 460 pounds
Length
up to 7.5 feet
Habitats
Ocean

Bigeye tuna are generally the size of yellowfin, and smaller than bluefin. They are long and streamlined, have dark metallic blue on their backs and upper sides, and are nearly white on their lower sides and belly. They can live as long as 15 years. Bigeye are found in the subtropical and tropical areas of the Atlantic (but not in the Mediterranean), Indian and Pacific Oceans.

Places
The Galápagos, Coral Triangle, Gulf of California, Coastal East Africa
Habitats
Ocean Habitat

Browse Photos & Videos

Tracking Tuna in the Coral Triangle

WWF is tracking the movements of yellowfin tuna in the waters off the Philippines in the Coral Triangle. By gathering more information on the movements of these tuna, we can improve management of the tuna fishery.

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Why They Matter

Bigeye tuna are an important commercial fish, usually marketed as fresh or frozen. Although tuna do provide food and livelihoods for people, they are more than just seafood. Tuna are a top predator in the marine food chain, maintaining a balance in the ocean environment.

Threats

Extinction Risk Vulnerable
1. EX
  Extinct
  
  No reasonable doubt that the last individual has died
2. EW
  Extinct in the Wild
  
  Known only to survive in cultivation, in captivity or as a naturalised population
3. CR
  Critically Endangered
  
  Facing an extremely high risk of extinction in the Wild
4. EN
  Endangered
  
  Facing a high risk of extinction in the Wild
5. VU
  Vulnerable
  
  Facing a high risk of extinction in the Wild
6. NT
  Near Threatened
  
  Likely to qualify for a threatened category in the near future
7. LC
  Least Concern
  
  Does not qualify for Critically Endangered, Endangered, Vulnerable, or Near Threatened

Bycatch

Juvenile bigeye tuna are increasingly caught as bycatch in skipjack tuna fisheries because they school with skipjack.

Overfishing

Bigeye tuna are prized in Asia for sashimi as well as frozen and fresh in other markets. As bluefin tuna populations shrink around the world, pressure on bigeye fisheries is increasing. According to information collected by the International Seafood Sustainability Foundation (ISSF) Scientific Advisory Committee, overfishing is occurring in Eastern and Western Pacific Oceans.

What WWF Is Doing

Tuna are integral parts of the entire marine ecosystem and our goal is for populations to be healthy and well-managed. We partner with governments and regional fisheries management organizations to advocate for stricter plans to recover depleted tuna stocks, combat pirate fishing and reduce bycatch.

WWF works with other organizations and the fishing industry to transform tuna fishing into a sustainable business, particularly through certification of tuna fisheries by the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC). WWF helps ensure that tuna are harvested responsibly and sustainably managed through work with the International Seafood Sustainability Foundation (ISSF). We encourage retailers to source from fisheries that are MSC-certified and work to raise consumer awareness about sustainably caught tuna.

Projects

Improving management in eastern Pacific tuna fisheries

Management strategy evaluation (MSE) is a process that allows stakeholders to assess how effective different management strategies can be. WWF convened workshops on MSE in five tuna fishing nations in the Eastern Pacific Ocean: Ecuador, Panama, the United States, Mexico, and Colombia.