Bluefin Tuna | Species

Tuna
Bluefin Tuna

Tuna
Bluefin Tuna

Bluefin Tuna

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

Facts

Status
Endangered
Scientific Name
Thunnus Thynnus
Weight
1500 pounds
Length
6 - 10 feet
Habitats
Oceans

Bluefin are the largest tunas and can live up to 40 years. They migrate across all oceans and can dive deeper than 3,000 feet. Bluefin tuna are made for speed: built like torpedoes, have retractable fins and their eyes are set flush to their body. They are tremendous predators from the moment they hatch, seeking out schools of fish like herring, mackerel, and even eels. They hunt by sight and have the sharpest vision of any bony fish. There are three species of bluefin: Atlantic (the largest and most endangered), Pacific, and Southern. Most catches of the Atlantic bluefin tuna are taken from the Mediterranean Sea, which is the most important bluefin tuna fishery in the world.

Places
Coral Triangle
Habitats
Ocean Habitat

Browse Photos & Videos

Setting the line on transparency in tuna fishing

For tuna fishing, data is more important now than ever. Most tuna stocks are fully exploited, meaning at best there is little to no room for expansion and at worst, they are in danger of collapsing. That’s why unmonitored tuna fishing is unacceptable. Commercial tuna fishing is increasingly transparent—but more needs to be done

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Northern bluefin tuna (Thunnus thynnus) in tuna ranching company's (Ecolo Fish) cages, being fattened for the sushi market, Mediterranean Sea, Spain.

Why They Matter

The Atlantic bluefin is a highly sought-after delicacy for sushi and sashimi in Asia—a single fish has sold for over $1.75 million! Driven by such high prices, fishermen use even more refined techniques to catch tuna. And the fish are disappearing as a result. 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 Endangered
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

Lack of knowledge about the biology and migratory behavior of Atlantic bluefin has hindered successful fishery management plans.

Overfishing

Bluefin tuna populations have declined severely from overfishing and illegal fishing over the past few decades –not just Atlantic bluefin tuna, but also Pacific bluefin tuna and Southern bluefin tuna. Population declines have been largely driven by the demand for this fish in high end sushi markets.

Pirate Fishing

Illegal fishing of Atlantic bluefin is a big problem and the fishery has been plagued by lack of enforcement and control.

What WWF Is Doing

Stopping Overfishing

In the Mediterranean, WWF has been working for over 10 years to protect Atlantic bluefin tuna. We work to stop overfishing and ensure recovery of the Eastern Atlantic and Mediterranean stock. WWF has been very influential in most of the decisions made by the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT), the body that regulates the fisheries.

Tuna Tagging

Since 2008, WWF has been tagging Atlantic bluefin tuna in the Mediterranean Sea to learn more about the species. The data collected so far has helped us learn more about their migratory behaviors and enabled us to advise fisheries managers on how best to protect the species. With more field tagging work, WWF and its partners can continue to fill the gaps on the bluefin’s biology and help give this emblematic fish a chance at survival for the long term.

Projects

Accelerating Tuna Sustainability through the Global FIP Alliance for Sustainable Tuna (G-FAST)

Tuna are among the world’s more commercially valuable fish; strong global demand and excess of fishing fleets will likely cause stocks to decline if management strategies are not improved.
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.

Publications

How You Can Help

Fight Against Plastic Pollution

Eight million metric tons of plastic are leaking into our oceans every year. Ask our government leaders to help stop plastics from leaking into our oceans.