Help Defend Our Oceans

Consumer input is critical to changing which fish we eat, where they are caught, and how they are caught. The fishing industry is most likely to change if it feels pressure from customers.

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Fishermen catch skipjack tuna using the pole and line fishing method, a selective and therefore more sustainable way to catch tuna. Only fish of a certain size are caught, leaving juveniles to grow to spawning age and replenish the stock in the future.

Here’s what you can do:

• Support our Oceans campaign: you can fund our work to document illegal fishing, lobby governments and industries and expose the threats to our oceans

• Don’t eat threatened species of tuna such as bluefin, yellowfin, albacore and more. Avoid consuming fish on the Greenpeace Red List, which are the most endangered and unsustainable species. You can also consult other guides such as the Marine Conservation Society's FishOnline guide or Sea Choice to find out about sustainable seafood choices.

• If you are buying canned tuna, try to buy from companies that commit to only source skipjack tuna from pole-and-line fisheries, which catch fish only of a certain size, leaving juveniles to grow to adult size.

• If you live in the UK, Australia or Canada, you can consult their guide to canned tuna to see which manufacturers are working on reducing their bycatch and ending destructive fishing practices.

• Avoid fish that has been caught using the purse seining and long-line methods, which can kill lots of sea turtles, sharks, dolphins and other fish as bycatch. Opt for fish that has been caught using the pole and line method as an alternative.

• Ask your store, fishmonger, or restaurant how they supply their fish. Does it come from unsustainable fisheries or endangered stocks? Is it stolen from the plates of the poor in developing countries.

• Buy from supermarkets that have, or are developing, sustainable seafood policies.

• Spread the message about sustainable seafood and fishing: share our stories with your friends and family.

• Support the development of a network of marine reserves to help protect ocean life.