Sustainability of Bluefin Tuna on the East Coast
Did you know that U.S. bluefin tuna fisheries here on the East Coast are some of the most strictly regulated and scientifically managed in the world?
The sustainability of farming on land is a frequently discussed topic, while the sustainability of fishing locally might not be something that comes up as often. And because sustaining our waters are just as important as sustaining our land, we reached out to Denise at Coastline Seafood to learn more about the sustainability of bluefin tuna - a fish that can often bring up curiosities and questions regarding regulation and the future of our ecologically balanced oceans.
Bluefin tuna fisheries on the U.S. East coast have a wide range of sustainable practices that have been implemented and designed to ensure that these fish live a long time and their populations stay strong, and Denise helped us put together some important pieces of information to note about the sustainability of bluefin tuna in the waters where we live, and fish.
Bluefin tuna in U.S. waters are jointly managed by:
• NOAA Fisheries, which oversees the Highly Migratory Species (HMS) Management Plan, sets domestic regulations, enforces quotas, and manages permits and reporting.
• ICCAT (International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas), the international body that sets science-based quotas and conservation measures. The U.S. fully complies with ICCAT’s sustainability targets.
”The commercial bluefin tuna quota is tightly controlled and divided into categories such as rod-and-reel (General), purse seine, and longline. Each category has seasonal and regional limits, and fishing is shut down once quotas are met—sometimes mid-season—to prevent overharvesting” Denise shares with us about the Strict Traceability and Tagging of bluefin tuna.
”Every bluefin landed must be tagged with an official dealer tag, ensuring full traceability from boat to market and preventing illegal harvest. These tagging programs also improve the accuracy of scientific data.”
All fishermen must have HMS permits and follow strict reporting requirements. These include:
• Reporting all landings and discards within 24 hours
• Using electronic vessel monitoring systems (VMS)
• Participating in regular data collection for management and stock assessments
Seafood Watch has a powerful influence on consumer behavior, but we are urged to take a closer look at the sustainability efforts already in place.
“Broad red-listing without distinguishing between well-managed U.S. fisheries and unsustainable practices elsewhere risks penalizing the very people who are doing things right” says Denise. “Our suppliers are local commercial U.S. East Coast Bluefin fishermen who adhere to and abide by the strict rules and regulations put in place to keep our US Bluefin fishery thriving”.
As of today, and compared to past decades, the U.S. East Coast (Western Atlantic) bluefin tuna stocks in a healthy and improving state.
As of 2022 the stock assessment by ICCAT (International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas) tells us that the Western Atlantic bluefin tuna stock is not overfished and not subject to overfishing.
It is important to know that Coastline Seafood, where Sweet Beet Market gets our fish every week, is a fish broker that prioritizes local sourcing and buys US bluefin tuna that is harvested directly by local U.S. fishermen on the coasts of NH, ME and MA.