Press release: Compassion in World Farming
https://action.ciwf.org.uk/page/195012/petition/
Aquaculture threatens the Atlantic bluefin tuna
The explosive growth of aquaculture is leading to new concerns regarding the global population of Atlantic bluefin tuna. In aquaculture, young, wild-caught tuna are fattened for consumption. Worldwide, the number of companies in this sector has increased nearly tenfold over the last twenty years. This is according to a new report by Compassion in World Farming (CIWF). This form of aquaculture leads to severe animal suffering and food waste.
Now that there is enthusiasm because bluefin tuna have been sighted in the North Sea again [1] , and Dutch fishermen are already ready to fish for the animal, great caution is still required, CIWF emphasizes. Research shows that purse seine fishing for Atlantic bluefin tuna has reached a historically high level. purse seine fishing definition - Zoeken
In addition, supervision of the catch of this fish species has now almost completely fallen into disrepair again. This has led to growth in the global market for Atlantic bluefin tuna. This also applies to the Dutch market.
According to United Nations trade figures, the Netherlands imported a net total of approximately 243,000 kilograms of bluefin tuna in 2024. In the span of a year, this grew by 18 percent to more than 288,000 kilograms in 2025. This involves thousands of animals that are primarily processed into luxury products such as sushi and sashimi.
The Atlantic bluefin tuna is a top predator that swims across the entire Atlantic Ocean. With speeds of 70 km per hour, it is one of the fastest fish in the ocean, and one of the largest: it can grow up to three meters long.
Due to decades of overfishing and inadequate catch control, the situation for these tuna was so bad in 2009 that the fish in the Mediterranean Sea was classified as endangered. In 2011, the species was even recognized as endangered worldwide. Temporarily improved monitoring allowed the population to begin recovering, and in 2021, the species was no longer considered endangered globally.
Animal suffering and food waste
Since then, aquaculture has often been presented as the way to reduce pressure on wild fish populations. Tuna farming, however, is at odds with this. The 'farming' relies on young tuna caught in the wild, which are fattened in the hatcheries. Therefore, these are not actually 'farms', but fattening farms. Worldwide, the number of Atlantic bluefin tuna fattening farms has increased tenfold, from 13 in 2006 to 123 at present.
The fattening farms require enormous numbers of smaller wild fish as feed for the tuna. Before slaughter, a farmed tuna eats up to 3,000 kilos of fish; that amounts to thousands, even tens of thousands, of wild fish such as sardines and anchovies. In addition, there is serious animal suffering in the fattening farms.
The wild, captive animals, which naturally swim thousands of kilometers, are confined in cramped sea cages and have no room whatsoever for their natural behavior. The report shows that they suffer from stress, often have skin conditions and damage to fins and eyes, and are at a high risk of mortality.
Call: moratorium on tuna farms
The Atlantic bluefin tuna stock is most alarming in the Mediterranean Sea, where tuna fishing and farming have expanded rapidly in recent years. This is despite the fact that the population in this sea has not been reassessed for 17 years.
Compassion in World Farming calls for an immediate international moratorium on new fattening farms for Atlantic bluefin tuna and on the expansion of existing farms. A new assessment under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Animals (CITES) and a reassessment of the Red List of Endangered Species are also urgently needed.
Note to the editor
This is a link to the CIWF report on the Atlantic bluefin tuna: https://www.ciwf.org/media/
annemarie.brijder@ciwf.nl , and the factsheet below.
Factsheet
1. Tuna aquaculture is expanding rapidly
• The number of Atlantic bluefin tuna from aquaculture increased nearly 20-fold between 2003 and 2024. In 2003, approximately 55,700 caught tuna were kept in fattening farms. By 2024, that number had risen to as many as one million.
• In 2006, there were 13 licensed fattening farms worldwide. In 2026, that number will be 123.
• The sector is dependent on caught tuna. This increases pressure on wild populations. Catches of wild Atlantic bluefin tuna in 2024 were 29% higher than in 2008, just before they were classified as endangered to protect their numbers.
2. Tuna farming undermines food security
• One farmed tuna requires up to 3,000 kilograms of wild-caught fish as feed. That is the equivalent of approximately 33,000 sardines or 166,000 anchovies. This harms marine life.
• Some of the fish used as feed comes from vulnerable coastal communities that depend on these fish for their food and livelihoods.
• Over the past decades, the European Union and national governments have spent more than €64.9 million in public financial support on the farming of Atlantic bluefin tuna.
3. Capture and breeding cause severe animal suffering
• The Atlantic bluefin tuna is a migratory, fast-swimming wild animal that must swim continuously to breathe. These characteristics make confinement in aquaculture systems inherently harmful to the animals.
• Confined in sea cages, they suffer from stress, injuries, and high mortality rates.
• Current slaughter methods give rise to serious concerns regarding animal welfare, including due to missed shots and suffocation.
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