Tuna Fishing

 

Saving the ocean starts with good data. Scientists can’t analyze what they can’t quantify, and government agencies can’t manage activity, such as fishing, without solid scientific analysis. Simply put—the conservation and sustainable use of ocean resources cannot be accomplished without first gathering good data.

For tuna, one of the world’s most commercially valuable fish, that data is more important now than ever. Most tuna stocks are fully exploited, meaning at best there is little to no room for expansion and at worst, they are in danger of collapsing. That’s why unmonitored tuna fishing is unacceptable.

Tuna is a major part of the greater marine ecosystem, particularly in international waters known as the high seas. Numerous vulnerable species travel with schools of tuna, including sharks, turtles and sea birds. These animals can get caught up in fishing operations, a conservation challenge called bycatch.

While tuna matter for the ocean, these fish are also an important source of jobs and food security for millions of people. Commercial tuna fishing generates more than $42 billion dollars in economic activity each year, and according to researchers that is a conservative estimate. Most of the tuna is caught using a practice called purse seine fishing, which is a large net used to encircle a school of tuna. This type of fishing gear targets tuna species like skipjack, fish that are mostly processed and canned for salads and sandwiches.

 

Thanks to global efforts and rules made by governments, most industrial purse seine vessels carry a high-level of observer coverage, either human observers or electronic monitoring systems collecting data on fishing activities while onboard a vessel.

Longline vessels, which use lines that stretch for miles with hooks that sink well below the ocean’s surface, make up roughly 12% of the world’s tuna catch. That’s more than 500 thousand tons of fish. There are estimated to be thousands of these vessels fishing around the world and in many places little information exists on what longline vessels are doing and catching, and where they’re doing it. This lack of information deprives scientists of essential data on non-tuna species caught incidentally like sea turtles, sharks, and rays. It also opens the door to illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing and denies coastal communities the benefit of their resources.

 

After numerous trials and studies, it is clear that onboard human observer coverage and electronic monitoring systems can bring transparency and promote stronger science and conservation. So why aren’t governments mandating the practice? Whatever the reason, it’s not enough to justify such risk to tuna populations, ocean ecosystems, and communities.

Tuna Unpresented and Unsustainable

 

 

If you're in the mood for a tuna poke bowl or an old-school tuna niçoise salad, here's a tip: Don't hit up the Greenhouse Tavern in Cleveland. It has been nearly six years since chef Jonathon Sawyer became a "tuna evangelist" after attending a meeting of like-minded chefs at the Monterey Bay Aquarium. It was there that he made the decision to forgo tuna — both in his personal life and on the menus at all four of his restaurants.

 

It wasn't always easy. Turning down the chance to eat famed chef Eric Rupert’s mouthwatering thin-sliced tuna over a foie gras torchon took some Superman-like strength, but for Sawyer, the mission is an important one. He's not trying to get people to give up tuna altogether. Rather, he's trying to raise awareness of the sheer quantities that are coming across our collective plates and serve as a gentle warning that all that fish is coming from a limited resource.

 

A new study, published in Fisheries Research, reveals that the sheer amount of tuna being taken from our seas, including some species considered "vulnerable," has increased by an astonishing 1,000% in the last 60 years — a rate that some scientists are saying is unsustainable.

 

The study, which looked only at larger industrial catches, says we're pulling nearly 6 million metric tons of tuna from the oceans each year. (The U.N.'s Food and Agriculture Organization's data — which include artisanal fisheries as well as industrial catches — estimate that the overall annual harvest is closer to 7.4 million metric tons of tuna.)

The study's findings suggest that current public reporting efforts to accurately document the extent of the world's tuna catch have been insufficient and could be affecting fisheries management decision-making. "The big surprise for me was how much [southern] bluefin tuna had declined," says lead author Angie Coulter, who conducted the research while working with the Sea Around Us initiative at the University of British Columbia's Institute for the Oceans and Fisheries. The historical decrease in southern bluefin tuna populations is eye-popping. In the 1960s, southern bluefin tuna from the Indian Ocean accounted for 36% of tuna catches there. Today, it has fallen to less than 1% of the catch.

The study shows that not only are we taking more tuna from the oceans than ever before, but we're also harvesting them farther from shore. Industrial tuna fishing now covers somewhere between 55% and 90% of the global oceans, fueled in part by extensive government subsidies.

So, what does all this mean for tuna fans? If chef Sawyer has his way, more of us would be open to spreading our seafood choices across a wider variety of tasty species to help ease some of the pressure on tuna. Coulter says even being more aware of exactly where our tuna is coming from is a good first step.

USA Baseball Focuses on Child Health and Development

 

Childhood obesity is an epidemic. With more than 12,550,000 American children and adolescents that are obese, it has more than tripled in the last 40 years. Due in part to this trend, 1 in 3 children that were born in the year 2000 will develop Type 2 diabetes at some point in their lifetime. For the first time in two centuries, the current generation of children in the United States may have shorter life expectancies than their parents.

This epidemic is also preventable. Communities, health professionals, organizations, and families can work together to create opportunities for kids to eat healthier and get more active. That is why USA Baseball joined forces with The Congressional Task Force on Childhood Obesity for their Childhood Obesity Prevention Awareness Expo on October 13. The Task Force is challenged with creating a healthy start in life for children, from infancy through early childhood; empowering parents and caregivers to make healthy choices for their families; serving healthier food in schools; ensuring access to healthy, affordable food; and increasing opportunities for physical activity.

Along with three other sports (soccer, wheelchair basketball, and lacrosse), USA Baseball participated in the Expo as an activity station where attendees received a hands-on learning experience with USA Baseball's newest childhood enrichment initiative, Fun at Bat. Expo attendees included members of Congress and their respective staffs.

 

 Fun at Bat is a bat and ball, entry-level program for kids with an emphasis on character development, functional movement, active play and fun. The initiative stems from meticulous research on introductory youth sport programs and is supported by Major League Baseball (MLB), SHAPE America, Franklin Sports and industry professionals. The curriculum for the program was created in partnership by USA Baseball and SHAPE America to help students meet and exceed the National Physical Education Standards. The program focuses on physical literacy through age-appropriate games and activities, as well as character development through USA Baseball Championship Principles. The Championship Principles are a collection of eight positive character traits that are taught to the children throughout the Fun at Bat lessons. Children also receive the Fun at Bat book, which provides a story for each Championship Principle.

USA Baseball has created several other initiatives that raise awareness and provide solutions around the current state of childhood health. Among those initiatives is the Long-Term Athlete Development Plan (LTAD). The LTAD, created with support from MLB, is a multi-stage developmental pathway for an individual's life-long experience within the sport of baseball in the United States. Through developmentally appropriate programs for all ages, the LTAD aims to increase participation, aid in performance, and enhance enjoyment across the sport of baseball at all levels. The LTAD is a culmination of evidence-based information and provides structure around physical literacy, physical development, injury prevention, psychosocial well-being, specialization, periodization and competition.
While Fun at Bat and the LTAD are centered on athlete development, USA Baseball believes that coach, parent, and umpire education is equally as important in creating a positive experience within the game.

With that focus in mind, the USA Baseball Online Education Center was created to provide free educational resources to all constituents of the game, specifically coaches, parents and umpires. The Online Education Center hosts online courses, the Sport Development Blog, and the LTAD, and provides access to the USA Baseball Mobile Coach app and the Amateur Resource Center.

The online courses, free to all users, are hosted by some of the most esteemed professionals within the game and can be completed in less than 30 minutes. Courses focus on various topics within the game, such as creating a positive and successful environment, coaching your own child, skill development, and keeping perspective. In addition to the courses, the Sport Development Blog also provides resources on team development, skill development, and coaching philosophy, among other topics.

With the goal to enrich the game of baseball for all participants, USA Baseball continues to provide resources and programs for athletes of all ages, as well as coaches, parents, and umpires within the game. USA Baseball is committed to Our Pastimes Future and helping children lead healthy lives both on and off the diamond.