Overview on Status and Technological Advances in Tuna Aquaculture Around the World

The current status of tuna fiseries, fattening and farming practices, as well as advances in closed-cycle tuna aquaculture, are summarized. The emergence and expansion of tuna fattening and farming activities during the last four decades have led to a shift from traditional fisheries toward aquaculture. This change is entirely reshaping the tuna fishery industry and the management of their stocks worldwide. Tuna fattening and farming operations still rely primarily on wild-caught juveniles that are fattened using small pelagic fish, blurring the line between fisheries and aquaculture and merging these activities to the point that it is no longer possible to analyze them separately. Progress in fattening operations has been limited to improved management and decreased mortalities during the capture, towing, transferring, and feeding stages of the tuna in cages. However, tuna aquaculture is now rapidly changing due to remarkable progress in closed-cycle tuna aquaculture production through advancements in broodstock maturation, spawning, larval rearing, and juvenile production technologies. Indeed, following the pioneering achievement of closing the life cycle of the Pacific bluefin tuna (PBFT) in Japan, researchers the world over are now making significant progress in hatchery technology. Closing their life cycle and the development of ecologically and economically efficient feeds that meet the specific nutritional requirements of tuna are required to ensure the future of tuna production and the conservation of tuna species. Collective efforts by researchers, academics, and the global industry are making it possible to achieve these goals.