Hooked on Tuna

A Smithsonian-led review drawing on 18 international researchers has traced human tuna exploitation back thousands of years, using archaeological skeletal remains, ancient rock art, frescoes, vases, written records and ethnographic accounts. The study underscores that tunas, once an inexpensive canned protein, now anchor a global industry worth roughly US$40 billion annually, with bluefin specimens fetching millions of dollars at auction. The authors, Emma Elliott Smith of the Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History and the University of New Mexico, and Torben Rick, curator of North American archaeology at the Smithsonian, argue the deep historical record offers context for managing today's harvests. The findings matter as pressure on tuna stocks intensifies and prices for premium species climb. Next, watch how fisheries managers and industry groups apply long-term historical baselines to quota and sustainability decisions.