On the occasion of World Tuna Day, observed on May 2nd, E. M. Abdussamad and C. Ramachandran highlight the economic and ecological importance of tuna resources in Indian waters.

“If the ocean were divided into sovereignties, then the tunafish would be in trouble because it would need a visa” -Sun Myung Moon

CONTEXT 

Amongst the 20,000 known species of marine fish, tuna is the most migratory and hence the most captivatingly globalised one. Cruising at about 30-40  km /hr a type of tuna called Pacific bluefin tuna can complete the trans-Pacific migration in as little as 55 days covering about 8000 km[i]. Harvested by more than 80 countries (with a total catch of more than 7 million tons) tuna and tuna –like species contribute 20 per cent value of all marine capture fish. It forms about 8 % of all globally traded fish too. Thanks to the Japanese new year custom where Tuna is believed to be  the harbinger of good luck for the entire year, this fish  is reckoned  as the most expensive one in the world.[ii].

No other fish could flaunt as grandiose a badge of international awe and adulation as of Tuna. And no wonder that there are five Regional Fisheries Management Organizations just for these fishes[iii]. Tuna is more than taste buds[iv] and deep pockets[v] but an enigma, cultural icon and a symbol of global seafood sustainability.[vi]