Tuna is one of the world's favourite fish and a staple in many
Canadian households. Tuna provides a critical source of protein
for millions of people across the globe. As a top predator in
marine food chains, tuna holds a unique place in ocean
ecosystems. But growing demand is pushing tuna and other species
impacted by destructive tuna fishing practices beyond their
limits. The International Union for Conservation of Nature
(IUCN) reported in 2011 that of the species most commonly found
in cans (yellowfin, skipjack, albacore and bigeye) three are
threatened or near threatened. Bigeye is listed as vulnerable
and yellowfin and albacore are listed as near threatened.
Vulnerable species could face global extinction and near
threatened species are close to the threatened threshold or
would be threatened without ongoing conservation measures. As
tuna fleets continue to overfish bigeye, yellowfin and albacore,
they are all at risk. Tuna stocks are also threatened by
destructive methods used mainly to catch skipjack‒