Canned Tuna, Which Comes from Other Tuna Species, Not Affected

The National Fisheries Institute's Tuna Council, formerly known as the U.S. Tuna Foundation, supports growing calls from the U.S. Congress, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and environmental groups, calling for a multiyear moratorium on bluefin tuna fishing in the Eastern Atlantic and Mediterranean.

"A proposed moratorium on bluefin tuna fishing is supported by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's National Marine Fisheries Service, as well as by resolutions by the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives," said Randi Parks Thomas, the Tuna Council's Vice President of Sustainability. "This is a serious issue that needs prompt action, to ensure that over-fishing in these regions does not continue and to facilitate recovery of the bluefin tuna stock."

In addition to her position with the Tuna Council, Ms. Thomas serves as U.S. Industry Commissioner to the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT), an inter-governmental regional fisheries management organization responsible for the conservation of tunas and tuna-like species in the Atlantic Ocean and its adjacent seas.

"It is important to note that bluefin tuna is not fished or used for commercial canned tuna," Thomas noted. "Nonetheless, the Tuna Council and its parent organization, the National Fisheries Institute (NFI), are strong supporters of efforts to sustain various species of fish and ensure effective fisheries conservation management measures. We believe that the current situation requires action to support and rebuild the bluefin tuna population in the affected areas."

For more information, contact Randi Parks Thomas of NFI's Tuna Council at (703) 752-8895 or via email at rthomas@nfi.org; or Jennifer Wilmes at (703) 752-8893 or via email a jwilmes@nfi.org.

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The National Fisheries Institute's (NFI) Tuna Council, previously known as the U.S. Tuna Foundation, represents the major canned and pouched tuna brands in the United States. The Tuna Council focuses on a diverse range of consumer and sustainability issues including product safety and tuna conservation and management. For over 100 years, the tuna industry has provided American families with an affordable and nutritious source of tuna products. Visit www.TunaFoundation.org and www.AboutSeafood.com for additional information.