Southern bluefin tuna is mainly caught in purse seines in Australian waters. The majority of southern bluefin tuna caught are juveniles, which are transported to large sea cages off South Australia and 'ranched' (grown on in fish farms) until they reach marketable size.
Area caught
In Australian waters, southern bluefin tuna are found mainly in the Great Australian Bight. They are most commonly caught during the summer months (December to April), but they are also caught off the New South Wales coastline during winter.
Other species groups grown in Australia include: abalone, freshwater finfish (such as barramundi, Murray cod, silver perch), brackish water or marine finfish (such as barramundi, snapper, yellowtail kingfish, mulloway, groupers), mussels, ornamental fish, marine sponges, mud crab and sea cucumber.
A: Tuna is a salt-water fish and found in the oceans throughout the world. Most commercially-available canned or pouch tuna is wild caught. Farm raised tuna is relatively new and there are very few tuna farms.
Unlike salmon, tuna are almost impossible to farm. Tuna have long lives and do not reach sexual maturity until they are five to six years old. Born in Pacific waters around Japan, tuna swim to Mexico when they are one to two years old and remain there until they return to Japan to breed.
The tuna sandwich is a lunchbox staple. But several species of tuna — like other large ocean fish — contain higher-than-average amounts of mercury, a highly toxic metal that can cause severe health effects.
Skipjack and canned light tuna, which are relatively low in mercury, can be eaten as part of a healthy diet. However, albacore, yellowfin and bigeye tuna are high in mercury and should be limited or avoided.
Farmed fish can be slightly higher in omega-3 fatty acids, presumably due to the farms' fortified feed. Contaminants: Some studies have shown how farm-raised varieties can be higher in contaminants. Additionally, farm-raised fish tend to have a higher instance of disease due to farming conditions.
Bluefin tuna are captured, farmed, sold and processed offshore. How this is managed to ensure their survival is an enormous challenge.
- Herring, pilchards, whitebait, sardines and anchovies are all wild and will never be farmed.
Farmed Seafood
We are committed to responsible aquaculture farming practices, safeguarding people, environment and animals. We will preferentially source farmed seafood that is: Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC) certified; or. Best Aquaculture Practices (BAP) Farm Standard certified; or.
Tuna, wild caught in the Western and Central Pacific Ocean using FAD-free Purse Seine fishing methods.
In general, it is safe for all population groups, including pregnant women, to consume 2-3 serves of any type of tuna per week (canned or fresh). Canned tuna generally has lower levels of mercury than other tuna because the tuna used for canning are smaller species that are generally caught when less than 1 year old.
More than 200 different species of seafood are imported into Australia, the most significant species groups being prawns, fish fillets, squid, octopus and tuna, which is mostly canned. Over half of imported fish by value are fresh, chilled or frozen, while approximately 40% arrives in cans.
Salmon can benefit your health thanks to its high content of omega-3 fats and vitamin D. Tuna is lower in calories but also contains more mercury. Thus, pregnant women and children should limit the amount of tuna they eat.
While both are safe to eat, the nutritional value of a wild-caught fish is superior to that of a farm-raised variety. Wild tuna eat a wider range of foods, which can create a higher nutritional density by the time it gets to our plates. Plus, wild options just taste better.
Canned light tuna is the better, lower-mercury choice, according to the FDA and EPA. Canned white and yellowfin tuna are higher in mercury, but still okay to eat. Bigeye tuna should be avoided completely, but that species isn't used for canned tuna anyway.
Mercury Tested
No other brand in the world does this. That is why Safe Catch Elite and Ahi, Wild Yellowfin are proven to meet Consumer Reports “Low Mercury” criteria set for pregnant and nursing women and young children. These products are also the official tuna of the American Pregnancy Association.
SAFCOL TUNA
The South Australian Fishermans Co-Operative Limited (S.A.F.C.O.L.) was founded in 1945 by a group of South Australian Fishermen to sell their catch; the first of its kind in Australia. This connection with the craft and the catch has been constant throughout our history.
Yellowfin and albacore tuna land somewhere in between, containing around 30 micrograms of mercury per 3 ounces. Given these mercury concentrations, people may safely consume three to four servings of low-mercury tuna per week. Higher mercury tuna should be restricted to one serving per week.
If you eat more than the recommended amount, you could get mercury poisoning. High levels of mercury in tuna can have side effects. Symptoms of mercury poisoning include loss of coordination, memory problems, numbness, pain, problems with vision, seizures and tremors.
Interestingly, although tuna is a large predatory fish it generally has mercury levels <0.5 mg/kg.