World Tuna Day falls on the 2nd day of May and attempts to raise awareness about the importance of tuna and how everyone should work together to create more sustainable fishing practices. Over the past few decades, it has become very clear that overfishing is a clear and present danger to tuna, and it’s been estimated that bluefin tuna stocks in the Northern Pacific have declined by up to 96%.

This is a precarious situation considering that the U.S., the European Union, and Japan are the largest consumers of canned tuna. Although efforts are currently underway to solve the overfishing epidemic, we aren’t quite there yet, so it’s important for everyone to work together to celebrate this day and raise awareness about the problem.

The History of World Tuna Day

World Tuna Day was created by the United Nations as an official holiday in 2017. However, this holiday was celebrated for several years before that date. It was originally celebrated by various groups in 2011 and was celebrated every year until the UN decided to adopt it.

Amazing Facts About Tuna

Although just about everyone is familiar with tuna in its many forms, few people know all that much about tuna or how it intersects with the world’s food supplies. That’s why we’ve decided to list some of the facts we learned about tuna so that everyone can have a better understanding of its importance to the world.

• On average, Americans eat almost 3 pounds of canned tuna per capita.
• That means Americans eat almost a billion pounds of canned tuna a year.
• About 70% of the canned tuna enjoyed by Americans is skipjack tuna. Only 30% is albacore.
• Worldwide populations of skipjack tuna are considered to be stable.
• Unopened canned tuna has a shelf life of about 4 years, if not exposed to extreme conditions.

Observing World Tuna Day

World Tuna Day should be observed first and foremost by making politicians aware of the problem of overfishing so that one day it can be solved. People can also observe this day by incorporating tuna into their diet for the day or by using the hashtag #WorldTunaDay on social media.