Many countries worldwide depend on tuna for both food security and nutrition. But several tuna stock are under threat from overfishing; bluefin stocks in the Northern Pacific Ocean, for example, have declined by more than 96% in comparison to unfished levels.
The United Nations established World Tuna Day on May 2 to raise awareness about the importance of tuna and to promote more sustainable fishing practices. The day, with events taking place globally, aims to spread information about the possible impact of drastically declining tuna stocks and to highlight the economic and social benefits of establishing more sustainable fishing practices.
Food and agriculture are key to achieving the entire set of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and many are directly relevant to fisheries and aquaculture, in particular SDG 14 (Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development). The State of World Fisheries and Aquaculture: Meeting the Sustainable Development Goals report highlights the critical importance of fisheries and aquaculture for the food, nutrition and employment of millions of people, many of whom struggle to maintain reasonable livelihoods.