World Tuna Day 2024: History, importance, facts and all you need to know

Tuna fishes are an indispensable part of various cultures and cuisines. They are an important ingredient for some incredible fish recipes. From Indian recipes to western preparations, tuna fishes end up as the star of the platter of each non-vegetarian spread. But the dwindling numbers of their species is becoming a matter of concern. 

Tuna fish have been eaten by people for millennia. However, we have only recently discovered the decline in the fish population. It is essential to make sure to pick economical fishing habits to guarantee that we keep the fish population stable.

What is the history of World Tuna day?

In December 2016, the UN General Assembly announced World Tuna Day to be observed every year. The inaugural festivity of World Tuna Day occurred in May 2017. From that point forward, each year, World Tuna Day is celebrated on May 2. 

The decision was made to raise awareness about the essence of Tuna fish and their dwindling numbers in the waters. The day aims to educate people about how their population is exhausting because of unregulated fishing techniques and unfortunate conservation management.

What is the importance of Tuna day?

Learning more about the tuna fish we buy is one of the best ways to celebrate World Tuna Day. We must be careful to purchase fish that have been obtained simply by sustainable fishing methods. We can likewise go through the day by learning interesting facts about tuna fish. 

We must be aware of buying fish from only pole and line catch fisheries. We must intentionally stay away from Fish Aggregating Devices (FADs). We can likewise enquire about tuna in our favourite eateries to figure out the manner in which they have been gotten.

World Tuna day: Facts    

    • Fish can keep a higher body temperature than the surrounding water.       

    • With their swimming muscles and torpedo-moulded bodies, tuna travels to every part of the seas easily.       

    • Among the 15 tuna varieties, the skipjack, yellow fin, huge eye and tuna are the most well-known species.       

    • The Atlantic bluefin tuna can reach a length of ten feet and a weight of up to two thousand pounds.       

    • Due to their distinctive body structure, some species of tuna can travel up to 43 miles per hour.

First Published: May 02 2024 | 1:03 PM IST