Maintain optimism, but also vigilance.

However, vigilance remains essential. The 2023 UNCLOS Biological Diversity Beyond National Jurisdiction Agreement (‘the BBNJ’) entered into force in January 2026, giving impetus to global efforts to protect marine biodiversity in international waters. Still, challenges persist.

Climate change affects tuna reproduction and pushes them farther out to sea, raising costs and threatening coastal livelihoods in often poor coastal communities. Specific reproductive details vary by species, such as the southern bluefin tuna which may spawn on average every 1.1 days, or the yellowfin tuna which often shows a peak spawning period between September and December in the tropical Western and Central Pacific

1. The reproductive dynamics of the southern blue- fin tuna (Thunnus maccoyii) in the Atlantic Ocean
2. The reproductive biology of yellowfin tuna (Thunnus albacares) in the pacific Ocean.
3. Scientific knowledge on eastern bluefin tuna reproduction and reproductive areas.
4. The reproductive biology of albacore tuna (Thunnus alalunga) in the western Indian Ocean
5. Reproductive biology of yellowfin tuna (Thunnus albacares) in the Western and Central Indian Ocean.

Preventing seabirds, sharks, whales and turtles becoming accidentally caught in nets and on hooks as bycatch remains an ongoing struggle. Many species of the iconic albatross are threatened with extinction, largely, but not only due to getting caught on fishers’ hooks.

Continued global cooperation is key to achieving truly sustainable tuna fisheries and preparing for the challenges ahead.