Skip to main content

Tuna is one of the world’s most popular seafoods and one of the most economically valuable. In some countries tuna is the main source of protein. Many livelihoods, particularly in island nations, depend on tuna fishing.

In 2021/22 the total global MSC certified sustainable tuna catch reached a record of nearly 2 million tonnes, compared to less than 1 million tonnes in 2017/18.  

Here we celebrate the popular and versatile fish and give you everything you need to know about tuna.  

Film

The Decision: A tuna fishery’s quest for sustainability

Watch our short documentary on the decade-long journey that one FAD fishery made to commit to sustainability and transform the fishing industry.


Tuna recipes from Bart van Olphen

Tasty tuna recipes from Dutch chef and founder of sustainable seafood brand, Fish Tales.

Ingredients

Method

  • 200 g pasta, any kind
  • 1 shallot, minced
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 1 tsp red pepper flakes
  • 4 tinned salted anchovy fillets
  • 1 tin whole tomatoes (400 g)
  • 4 stems basil, leaves coarsely chopped
  • 2 tsp red wine vinegar
  • 1 tsp capers
  • 1 tbsp Taggiasca olives
  • 6 cherry tomatoes, halved
  • 2 tins MSC certified tuna in olive oil, drained (drained weight 100 g per tin)
  • Olive oil
  • Salt and pepper

Photo credit: David Loftus

  1. Heat a splash of oil in a frying pan over a medium heat and fry the shallot and garlic for 2 minutes until soft. Add the red pepper flakes and anchovy fillets. Allow the anchovies to ‘melt’.
  2. Now add the tinned tomatoes and mash with a potato masher. Add half the basil and the red wine vinegar. Mix well and simmer gently over a low heat.
  3. Fill a pot with plenty of salted water and bring to a boil over a medium heat. Prepare the pasta according to the instructions on the packaging.
  4. Now stir the capers and olives into the tomato sauce. Add the cherry tomatoes and stir these in as well.
  5. Mix the drained tuna into the pasta and season the sauce with salt and pepper if desired. If the sauce is too thick, add a few spoonfuls of the cooking water from the pasta.
  6. Drain the pasta and mix the pasta and sauce together.
  7. Serve the pasta with the remaining basil and some freshly ground black pepper.
Photo credit: David Loftus


Tuna stories

As demand for tuna continues to increase, more tuna fisheries are improving their practices. This means more tuna fisheries are becoming MSC certified. We want to tell the stories of those fishers who are bringing sustainable tuna to our tables.