Tuna: Bigeye

Ahi, Po’onui

Maguro

Bigeye matures at an early age, has a moderate lifespan, is highly fecund, and is widely distributed, making it inherently resilient to fishing pressure. Bigeye caught with troll or pole-and-line gear is the most sustainable option. Longlines, the most common catch method for bigeye tuna, result in large bycatch, including sea turtles, sharks and seabirds. Since there are no international laws to reduce bycatch, these longline fleets are contributing heavily to the long-term decline of some of these species. Most of the world’s bigeye populations have been depleted due to longline fisheries. Management of bigeye tuna is complex, and varies by ocean basin. Illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing remains problematic worldwide.

Bigeye matures at an early age, has a moderate lifespan, is highly fecund, and is widely distributed, making it inherently resilient to fishing pressure.

In the Atlantic, bigeye is not overfished and overfishing is not occurring, however biomass declines have been observed since the early 1990s.

All troll/pole gear used to catch bigeye have negligible habitat effects, while the ecosystem effects of removing large predators such as tuna are not understood.

The gear used to catch bigeye has minimal habitat effects, as they are either pelagic or surface gears and do not come into contact with the seafloor. The ecosystem effects of removing large predators such as tuna, billfishes, and sharks, however, remain controversial.

Bigeye tuna management is considered highly effective in the US troll/pole fishery.

What kind of tuna is this?

Where is it caught?

How was it caught?

Adults and children should eat no more than 4 meals per month + Contaminant levels are unknown

No.