Yellowfin tuna ‘heading for collapse’ by 2026: A 20% reduction in catch would turn the tide
Yellowfin tuna in the Indian Ocean is overfished and ‘heading for collapse’ by 2026, according to non-profit thinktank Planet Tracker. The only way to avert this situation is a significant reduction in catch.
Stocks of yellowfin tuna in the Indian Ocean are on a knife-edge. Forecasts from Planet Tracker predict that, if things carry on as they are, ‘collapse’ – defined as a 70% reduction in biomass over a decade – will take place by 2026.
Found in the subtropical and tropical areas of the Atlantic, Indian and Pacific Oceans, yellowfin tuna accounts for almost 30% of the total catch for all tuna species. In 2019, 424,226 tonnes of yellowfin was harvested in the Indian Ocean. But for the species to remain viable, a 20% reduction in catch from 2014 levels is needed, according to the non-profit.