Bigeye tuna | Good Fish Guide | The consumer guide to sustainable seafood

Common name - Bigeye tuna

Scientific name - Thunnus obesus

Average rating

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Consumer Information

For the most sustainable tuna choose skipjack, yellowfin or albacore tuna from pole & line or troll-caught fisheries and look for the MSC logo and ?dolphin safe' tuna. Many tuna fisheries from the Indian Ocean (except albacore) are in a healthy state and being fished sustainably. Tuna belong to the Scombridae family and are related to mackerel. They are large, oceanic fish and are seasonally migratory, some making trans-oceanic journeys. Tuna is highly sought after and forms the basis of many world-wide fisheries. Consequently, all 7 commercially fished species are under pressure. Of most concern though are the slower growing and generally decreasing stocks of northern (Atlantic) bluefin, southern bluefin, and bigeye tunas. Southern bluefin is listed as Critically Endangered by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN); northern (Atlantic) bluefin listed as Endangered; and bigeye as Vulnerable. For detailed information on specific regions and fish stocks, please see our FishOnline site.

Summary

Bigeye tuna is slower and larger growing than skipjack and yellowfin and is thus more vulnerable to overfishing. Of the bigeye tuna fisheries, the Atlantic and Indian Ocean stocks are both relatively healthy and represent the most sustianable choices. The Western and Central Pacific Ocean stock is being overfished and should be avoided. The most sustainable method for capturing bigeye tuna is pole & line or non-FAD associated purse seine as they are more selective and have less interactions with vulnerable bycatch species. Longlines for the species tend to be deeper set and have less associated bycatch issues than pelagic and surface longlines. However, bycatch from deeper water has a lower chance of survival if thrown back. Fish Aggregation Device (FAD) associated purse seine fisheries have significant impacts on threatened, endangered and protected species such as marine turtles, sharks and seabirds and should always be avoided (See fishing methods for details).

Alternatives

(Based on method of production, fish type, and consumer rating: only fish rated 3 and below are included.)

Common dolphinfish or dorado or mahi mahi
Skipjack tuna
Swordfish
Tuna, General
Yellowfin tuna

Visit Fishonline, the website for the seafood industry, for more detailed information about this species.