Today Is World Tuna Day

It is World Tuna Day today. Tuna fishing and processing is a multi-billion-dollar industry, and the fish plays a vital role in the economies of many coastal, developed, and developing nations and people’s livelihoods. To highlight the critical importance of this fish, the United Nations decided to celebrate World Tuna Day on May 2 annually.

Several programs have been lined up today in different parts of the world. It includes culinary sessions, art events, and conferences. Atuna gave readers a sneak peek into the various activities organized as part of World Tuna Day in various places. We also provided you with some ideas on how you can spend the day with your family and colleagues. Amid the rising demand for this fish in global markets, it is important to sustainably manage them so that they flourish in the years to come.

MSC’s Sustainable Tuna Yearbook

The Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) released its latest edition of Sustainable Tuna Yearbook today to coincide with World Tuna Day. The volume of tuna sold with the MSC blue ecolabel grew by 24 percent year on year to 300,000 M/T in 2024-2025 according to new data. Currently, 2.82 million tons of tuna from MSC-certified fisheries are being landed annually, accounting for half of the global wild tuna catch.

Laura Rodriguez, MSC’s Head of Species Strategies, said: “Sales of eco-labelled tuna have been growing for some years now and show no signs of slowing down. It’s heartening to see the progress being made in tuna fisheries around the world to meet this demand from retailers and consumers, which in turn is driving progress on the water.”

PNG’s Big Plans For Self-Sufficient Tuna Industry

On World Tuna Day, Papua New Guinea’s National Fisheries Authority (NFA) asserted the importance of tuna to the island nation’s economy. NFA Managing Director Justin Ilakini, pointed out the importance of the National Tuna Domestication Strategy (NTDS), a fishery management plan. NTDS is a policy framework developed to maximize the economic and social benefits of the country’s tuna resources by increasing domestic participation and value addition in the tuna industry.

One of the main intentions of the NTDS is to ensure 50 percent of the tuna caught in PNG’s waters is processed in the island itself. Ilakini said, “This is not merely an economic objective, but a step towards national sovereignty. PNG must no longer accept being a raw resource exporter and rent seeker while others profit from its wealth,” reported news sites.

How Well Do You Know The Tuna Industry?

How well do you know the tuna industry? You can check your knowledge with the interesting crossword below. The answers will be published on May 6.

Meanwhile, do not forget to register for the upcoming European Tuna Conference to be held on May 5 in Barcelona. The event will give a detailed insight into the impacts of trade protectionism on the future global tuna supply chain, tuna prices, catches, production, and transparency and ethical sourcing.