Donate

Resource

VIDEO

Resource

VIDEO

Bluefin Experts: Carl Safina

Bluefin Experts: Carl Safina

The President of the Blue Ocean Institute talks tuna.

Grades

9 - 12+

Subjects

Biology

Partner
National Geographic Channel

A single bluefin tuna, prized for sushi meat, can sell for thousands of dollars at market; this incredible potential payoff has led to intense fishing. In some areas, such as in the Mediterranean Sea, bluefin are caught when they gather to spawn. Fishers use huge purse seine nets that allow them to catch hundreds of fish at once. This and other types of intense commercial fishing have led to the decline of the species. In order to sustain the bluefin populations, regulations state that U.S. fishers may only catch bluefin tuna with rod and reel or hand-thrown harpoons, and the fish must measure a minimum length of 185 centimeters (73 inches). Additionally, there is a limit to how many bluefin tuna may be caught each year.

Media Credits

The audio, illustrations, photos, and videos are credited beneath the media asset, except for promotional images, which generally link to another page that contains the media credit. The Rights Holder for media is the person or group credited.

Writer
Meghan E. Marrero
Editor
Cathlyn Matracia
Expert Reviewer
Julie Brown, National Geographic Society
Producer
Alison Michel
other
Last Updated

September 27, 2022

For information on user permissions, please read our Terms of Service. If you have questions about licensing content on this page, please contact ngimagecollection@natgeo.com for more information and to obtain a license. If you have questions about how to cite anything on our website in your project or classroom presentation, please contact your teacher. She or he will best know the preferred format. When you reach out to him or her, you will need the page title, URL, and the date you accessed the resource.

Media

If a media asset is downloadable, a download button appears in the corner of the media viewer. If no button appears, you cannot download or save the media.

Text

Text on this page is printable and can be used according to our Terms of Service.

Interactives

Any interactives on this page can only be played while you are visiting our website. You cannot download interactives.

Related Resources