The tuna industry began in 1903 by accident. Sardines were the fish of choice then, but the catch suddenly dwindled. As a result, an enterprising Southern California canner, Albert P. Halfhill, decided to pack the empty sardine cans with albacore - which at that time was considered a "nuisance" fish with no known commercial value.
Once consumers began to try canned tuna, they embraced the white meat fish and more canneries began to pack tuna instead of sardines. By 1913, nine plants were in operation, producing 115,000 cases annually. In 1917, the industry had grown to 36 canners along the California coast alone. With growth came supply problems, so the leading canners approached local fisherman M. O. Medina and asked him to fish for tuna far south of San Diego. Along with his brothers, Medina headed south and loaded their boats to the brim with yellowfin, skipjack tuna and bluefin - leading to the birth of San Diego's high seas tuna fleet.
The First World War marked a critical period of growth for the industry. In Europe, troops required a convenient protein-rich food - and canned tuna provided a ready solution. To meet the extra demand, commercial fisherman who had originally fished the coastal waters off south California expanded northward and westward. By the late 1930's, the fleet expanded to the waters off the Pacific Northwest and ranged several hundred miles offshore. With this increased supply of various tuna species, the United States by 1954 had become the world's largest producer and consumer of canned tuna products.
In 2000, the industry introduced vacuum-packed pouches - and consumers embraced the new packaging that was easy to store, easy to open and easy to clean up. In the last few years, processors have also made new marinated flavor options available for the first time.
Throughout its hundred-year history, the U.S. canned tuna industry has responded to the changing needs and tastes of the American consumer. And Americans have loved tuna back - enjoying over 1 billion pounds of canned or pouched tuna each year.
