Tuna penning

Tuna penning is a practice used in marine aquaculture, in which smaller tuna are caught off shore and moved back to large, in-water enclosures. The pens are typically located in the relatively shallow waters of sheltered areas, such as bays or coves.[1] Tuna penning is primarily used for Atlantic Bluefin Tuna (ABT), a highly profitable stock for the global fish market. The tuna caught for penning are typically caught between May and July by purse-seine vessels, and then transported back to pens, where they are fattened until October–January before being frozen and shipped out. While in the pens, the tuna are fed primarily fresh fish, such as sardines, squid, and mackerel. In the past decade, tuna penning has become a large sector within the fish aquaculture industry, and takes place primarily in the Mediterranean.[2] In 2010, ABT constituted 8% of global fish exports, the majority of which was shipped to Japan.[2] Tuna penning is regulated by the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT), and each farm is required to register both the number of tuna it has and the total capacity of the farm.[2]

  1. ^ Kruzic, P.; Vjerocka, V.; Bura-Nakic, E. (2014). "Inshore capture-based tuna aquaculture impact on Posidonia oceanica meadows in the eastern part of the Adriatic Sea". Marine Pollution Bulletin. 86 (1–2): 174–185. doi:10.1016/j.marpolbul.2014.07.028. PMID 25110046.
  2. ^ a b c Mangion, M.; Borg, J.; Thompson, R.; Schembri, P. (2014). "Influence of tuna penning activities on soft bottom microbenthic assemblages". Marine Pollution Bulletin. 79 (1–2): 164–174. doi:10.1016/j.marpolbul.2013.12.021. PMID 24447635.