Sustainability 

Skipjack tuna typically start reproducing after only one year, meaning that by the time an individual is fished, it has most likely already spawned and reproduced. A younger maturation age increases the sustainability of the species making it particularly abundant, worldwide, and is labelled as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List.

Across Indonesia, IPNLF are working towards creating Fishery Improvement Projects (FIPs) to target pole-and-line skipjack fisheries in the Indian and Pacific Ocean with the aim of improving their sustainability.

Skipjack tuna are a commercially important species, eaten all over the world and contributing to many traditional dishes. Fishing for skipjack, using large-scale longlines and net vessels is a common practice across the world, yet these methods are highly unsustainable. Not only do these methods contribute to stock decline by overfishing, but also catch large numbers of endangered species like dolphins, turtles and sharks - also known as bycatch. 

One-by-one fishing using either handline or pole-and-line fishing techniques is a sustainable way to catch skipjack tuna because only one fish is caught at a time, meaning it is highly selective. The chances of hooking endangered species as bycatch is minimal, and these methods also reduce the likelihood of overfishing a stock. Unlike large longlines or nets, which are often lost or discarded at sea and contribute to ghost fishing and ocean plastic pollution, one-by-one fishing techniques are well managed and contribute very little to these issues. 

By purchasing pole-and-line or handline caught skipjack tuna you are contributing to these sustainable and ethical fisheries!