Known in Hawaii as ahi, bigeye tuna are similar in general appearance to yellowfin tuna and are the deepest ranging of all tuna species, with a range of greatest concentration at 150 to 250 fathoms. With its mild flavor and desirable fat content, the bigeye is often used in canned tuna.

Aquatic animals other than the primary target species that are caught incidental to the harvest of the primary species. Bycatch may be retained or discarded. Discards may occur for regulatory or economic reasons.

A mixture of tuna cut into pieces of varying sizes.

An omega-3 fatty acid that is essential for the healthy development of the fetus and young child.

The EEZ is the area that extends from the seaward boundaries of coastal countries (3 nautical miles in most cases, the exceptions in the U.S. are Texas, Puerto Rico and the Gulf coast of Florida at 9 nautical miles) to 200 nautical miles off their coasts. Within this area coastal states claim and exercise sovereign rights and exclusive fishery management authority over all fish and all continental shelf fishery resources.

Food and Drug Administration – A Federal agency and division of the Department of Health and Human Services that protects the public against impure and unsafe foods, drugs, and cosmetics. FDA is responsible for the safety regulation of most types of foods including seafood, dietary supplements, drugs, vaccines, biological medical products, blood products, medical devices, radiation-emitting devices, veterinary products, and cosmetics.

1. Generally, a fishery is an activity leading to harvesting of fish. It may involve capture of wild fish or raising of fish through aquaculture; 2. A unit determined by an authority or other entity that is engaged in raising or harvesting fish. Typically, the unit is defined in terms of some or all of the following: people involved, species or type of fish, area of water or seabed, method of fishing, class of boats, and purpose of the activities.; 3. The combination of fish and fishers in a region, the latter fishing for similar or the same species with similar or the same gear types.

International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT) – a RFMO involved in the management of tuna and tuna-like species in the Atlantic Ocean and adjacent seas

International Seafood Sustainability Foundation - a global partnership of eminent marine scientists, tuna industry leaders and the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), the global conservation organization, committed to the science-based conservation and management of tuna and the protection of our oceans.

The largest average catch or yield that can continuously be taken from a stock under existing environmental conditions. For species with fluctuating recruitment, the maximum might be obtained by taking fewer fish in some years than in others. Also called: maximum equilibrium catch; maximum sustained yield; sustainable catch.

Methylmercury is an organic form of mercury produced in bodies of water through the action of bacteria.

Omega-3 fatty acids are healthy, polyunsaturated fatty acids that occur predominantly in deep-sea, oily fish – such as tuna. Tuna is high in omega-3 fatty acids. Omega-3 fatty acids appear to have a positive effect on heart health and research indicates that they have many other important health benefits to adults and the developing babies of pregnant women.

Nets characterized by the use of a purse line at the bottom of the net. The purse line enables the net to be closed like a purse and thus retain all the fish caught. The purse seines, which may be very large, are operated by one or two boats. The most usual case is a purse seine operated by a single boat, with or without an auxiliary skiff.

Regional Fishery Management Organizations are the international institutions responsible for fisheries management, including the formulation of the rules that govern fishing activities. The fishery management organization, and its subsidiary bodies, may also be responsible for all ancillary services, such as the collection of information, its analysis, stock assessment, monitoring, control and surveillance, consultation with interested parties, application and/or determination of the rules of access to the fishery, and resource allocation. There are five RFMOs which focus on tuna fishing and tuna stocks throughout the world: • Commission for the Conservation of Southern Bluefin Tuna • Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission • International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas • Indian Ocean Tuna Commission • Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission

Selenium is incorporated into proteins to make selenoproteins, which are important antioxidant enzymes. The antioxidant properties of selenoproteins help prevent cellular damage from free radicals. Free radicals are natural by-products of oxygen metabolism that may contribute to the development of chronic diseases such as cancer and heart disease. Other selenoproteins help regulate thyroid function and play a role in the immune system.

Also called fancy, solid tuna is a solid portion of a loin, cut to fit the can, and packed in one layer.

Fishing activities that do not cause or lead to undesirable changes in the biological and economic productivity, biological diversity, or ecosystem structure and functioning from one human generation to the next. Fishing is sustainable when it can be conducted over the long-term at an acceptable level of biological and economic productivity without leading to ecological changes that foreclose options for future generations.

Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission (WCPFC) – a RFMO involved in the management of tuna and tuna-like species in the Western and Central Pacific Ocean