World Tuna Day 2025: Theme, History, Significance, And Celebrations
Last Updated:
World Tuna Day aims to raise awareness about the importance of halting overfishing and adopting sustainable practices to preserve tuna populations.
World Tuna Day 2025: Every year on May 2, World Tuna Day is observed to raise awareness about the importance of conserving and protecting tuna populations. This day holds special significance for those involved in tuna fishing and conservation efforts. Tuna is a rich source of Omega-3 fatty acids, proteins, minerals, and Vitamin B12, making it highly valued worldwide. However, its popularity has led to immense demand and the threat of overfishing.
To address these concerns and highlight the critical need for sustainable tuna preservation, the United Nations Assembly officially declared May 2 as World Tuna Day.
World Tuna Day 2025 Theme
This year, the theme for World Tuna Day is 'Our Ocean, Our Tuna, Our Future." The theme emphasises the need for sustainable management of tuna stocks to ensure the health of our oceans and the future of this vital resource.
World Tuna Day History
World Tuna Day was first proposed at a meeting of the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission in 2011. In recognition of the urgent need to conserve tuna populations and promote sustainable fishing practices, the United Nations General Assembly officially declared May 2 as World Tuna Day in 2016.
Significance of World Tuna Day
The primary goal of World Tuna Day is to raise awareness about the importance of halting overfishing and adopting sustainable practices to preserve tuna populations. Many countries depend on tuna as a key part of their diet, but with the industry's continuous expansion, there are growing concerns about the long-term sustainability of tuna fishing.
World Tuna Day is marked globally, transcending borders and regions. Activities such as awareness campaigns, conservation events, and educational programs are organised by both government and non-government organisations to promote the importance of tuna preservation.
Key Facts
Tuna are highly migratory and can travel thousands of miles across the ocean.
As apex predators, they are capable of diving to great depths and swimming at speeds of up to 43 kilometers per hour.
Tuna have the unique ability to maintain a body temperature higher than that of the surrounding water.
Some species, like the Atlantic bluefin, can grow up to 10 feet in length and weigh nearly 2,000 pounds.
First Published:
May 02, 2025, 07:00 IST
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Indian Express
7 days ago
- Indian Express
World Refugee Day 2025: Date, theme, history, significance — all you need to know
World Refugee Day 2025 Date, History, and Theme: World Refugee Day is a global observance established by the United Nations, dedicated to honouring the strength and resilience of refugees worldwide. This day also emphasises the importance of advocating for their rights. According to the United Nations 1951 Refugee Convention, refugees are 'individuals who fled their home and country due to 'a well-founded fear of persecution because of his/her race, religion, nationality, membership in a particular social group, or political opinion'. This day was first observed globally on 20 June 2001, to mark the 50th anniversary of the 1951 Convention on the Status of Refugees. Formerly known as Africa Refugee Day, it was changed to this day when the United Nations General Assembly declared it an international day in December 2000. World Refugee Day falls on Friday, 20 June 2025, this year. It will focus on the theme 'Solidarity with Refugees,' a call for action to move beyond mere words and take meaningful actions to support them. According to the UN, every minute, 20 people leave everything to flee conflict, persecution, or terror, and World Refugee Day serves as an opportunity to build empathy and understanding for their predicament, as well as to recognise their resilience in reconstructing their lives. Together, we can fight for their right to safety, get support for their economic and social inclusion, and lobby for solutions to their problems. Every person has the right to seek safety. 💙 Whoever they are. 💙 Wherever they come from. 💙 Whenever they are forced to flee. This #WorldRefugeeDay — and every day — we stand with all refugees, everywhere. — UN Human Rights (@UNHumanRights) June 17, 2025
The Hindu
09-06-2025
- The Hindu
Empowering women in agriculture for food security
The United Nations General Assembly has declared 2026 as the International Year of the Woman Farmer, garnering the support of over 100 co-sponsors. The resolution celebrates the essential role of women in global agriculture while raising awareness of their challenges, which include property rights and market access. This article highlights insights from a symposia on women in agriculture organised by the Royal Norwegian Embassy and the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) in India (with participation and guidance from the Government of India). It distils the discussions over six months, with 200 participants from diverse fields and backgrounds coming together to address the challenges women in agriculture face. Some of the observations here also stem from a collaborative project called ENACT, or Enhancing Climate Adaptation of Vulnerable Communities through Nature-based Solutions and Gender Transformative Approaches, in Assam, implemented by the WFP in partnership with the Government of Assam, in Nagaon. The project aims to empower smallholder farmers, particularly women, to access climate-related information and make informed decisions to enhance their resilience. The project is financed by the Government of Norway under its strategy to promote self-sufficiency in food production and strengthen women's rights and their role in food production. Ownership, control and access Nearly half the global food supply is made possible by the contributions of women, who are responsible for 60% to 80% of food production in developing countries and account for 39% of the agricultural labour in South Asia. These figures highlight the vital role of women in agriculture, who face barriers and inequalities. In India, the percentage of women who own agricultural land is significantly lower than that of men, despite women constituting a substantial part of the farm workforce. Approximately 80% of economically active women are employed in agriculture. Yet, only 14% of landowners are women. According to the latest National Family Health Survey, female land ownership is even lower, at 8.3%. Women farmers in India report that their lack of land ownership makes it difficult to obtain credit and limits their access to financial institutions. Regular access to information on agricultural planning and advisory is essential for farmers, but women have more limited access to technology, such as mobile phones. These obstacles hinder investments, technology adoption and improvements in livelihoods. While microfinance and self-help groups provide some access, such loans are often insufficient for significant investments. The Government of India supports small women farmers to enhance skills and promote sustainable agriculture. The Mahila Kisan Sashaktikaran Pariyojana upgrades skills and increases resource access for women, while the Sub-Mission on Agricultural Mechanisation offers 50% to 80% subsidies for machinery. Additionally, 30% of the National Food Security Mission's budget is allocated for women farmers in a number of States and Union Territories. Empowerment for resilience Climate change disproportionately affects women farmers by increasing their domestic responsibilities and elevating their exposure to agricultural risks. 'Our area has been witnessing rapid weather changes. The variety introduced by the project is designed to resist flood damage, and the crops can survive underwater. We are hoping for a better harvest,' says Nirmali Bora Hazarika from Roha village in Nagaon. By engaging with women farmers, it is possible to develop replicable models of climate adaptation at the village and community levels. The women in agriculture symposia generated forward-looking ideas. The ENACT project primarily connects women farmers with experts through information technology, providing actionable agricultural and climate advisories weekly via their phones to over 300 farmers in 17 villages of Nagaon district. Additionally, the Climate Adaptation Information Centres facilitate video conferencing and meetings, informing women farmers about agriculture and livelihoods. This shows how scalable impact can be achieved by combining technical expertise, diversification through farm-based livelihoods, information and weather advisories, use of technologies and social behaviour change interventions. The project is leveraging partnerships with State and district administrations, which include the Department of Agriculture, the State Rural Livelihoods Mission, and the Departments of Meteorology and Environment. The technology partners include agricultural universities, institutions for sourcing climate-resilient crop varieties. Rural ecosystems and dependent livelihoods are vulnerable. Responses to risks should reflect community needs and capabilities. The ENACT-project emphasises the promotion of flood-resistant rice varieties, livelihood diversification, and market linkages to mitigate crop damage from flooding and promote the cultivation of nutritious local varieties. Women's farmer groups engage in a community-based smart seed production system to enhance sustainability. Steps to take Policy design and implementation should take into account the unique needs of women farmers. Granular data with a gender lens are needed to develop solutions tailored to women's needs. These could range from rethinking farming tools to financial needs and practices around saving or credit. There should be a strong focus on agri-value chains that support women farmers and are managed by women. Part of this could be to enhance women's access to financing mechanisms and information while supporting their collective action and networks, such as women's self-help groups. We have a historic opportunity to mark 2026 as the International Year of the Woman Farmer, to promote resilient agricultural development and gender equality by recognising, supporting, and enhancing the role of women in ensuring food security, fostering economic prosperity, and promoting sustainability. May-Elin Stener is the Ambassador of Norway to India. Elisabeth Faure is the Representative and Country Director of the United Nations World Food Programme in India
Time of India
09-06-2025
- Time of India
Farmed production of some fish - and seaweed
Asia leads global farmed fish production (Image credit: AFP) The amount of farmed seafood we consume -- as opposed to that taken wild from our waters -- is soaring every year, making aquaculture an ever-more important source for many diets, and a response to overfishing. According to the UN's Food and Agriculture Organization, nearly 99 million tonnes of aquatic animals (fish, molluscs like oysters and mussels and crustaceans like prawns) were farmed around the world in 2023, five times more than three decades ago. Since 2022, the farming of aquatic animals has been steadily overtaking fishing around the world -- but with large disparities from species to species. Fast-growing species: by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Windows Users Don't Forget To Do This Before Monday Read More Undo The two biggest sellers on the market in 2023, carp and tilapia, mainly came from freshwater farming, while other widely-consumed fish, like herring, came just from deep sea fishing Thierry Laugier, a researcher at Ifremer, France's national institute for ocean science and technology, told AFP that fish farmers choose species that grow quickly and with simple requirements, to be able to control the life cycle. Sales of the most widely farmed fish in Europe, Atlantic salmon, came to 1.9 million tonnes in 2023, 99 per cent of which were farmed. "We know how to control the ageing or how to launch a reproduction cycle, through injecting hormones," Laugier said. Asia main producer: Asia is by far the biggest producer of farmed fish, accounting for 92 per cent of the 136 million tonnes -- of both animal and plant species -- produced under manmade conditions in 2023. "For carp, it comes down to tradition, it has been farmed for thousands of years on the Asian continent," the Ifremer researcher said. At the other end of the spectrum, sardines and herring are just fished in the oceans, mainly for profitability reasons as some fish grow very slowly. "It takes around two years to get an adult-sized sardine," Laugier said. He said farming of some fish has not yet been started as, "for a long time, we thought the ocean was an inexhaustible resource". Seaweed: Little known in the West, seaweed nevertheless accounts for almost a third of world aquaculture production. Almost exclusively from Asia, seaweed production increased by nearly 200 percent in two decades, to 38 million tonnes. It is mainly used in industry, in jellies, pharmaceuticals and cosmetics, the expert said. He said seaweed also has the major advantage of absorbing not just CO2 in the oceans, but also nitrogen and certain pollutants. "And from an ecological point of view it is better to farm macroalgae than salmon," Laugier said.
