Mediterranean Bluefin Tuna Fishing: A Carbon Footprint Twice the Global Fishing Average

A recent study has found that bluefin tuna fishing in the Mediterranean is responsible for a carbon footprint of approximately 5 kilograms of CO2 per kilogram of tuna caught. The research, conducted by Prof. Dr. Hakkı Dereli and Dr. Hüseyin Akbaş from İzmir Katip Çelebi University, analyzed the fuel consumption and carbon footprint of Turkey's bluefin tuna fishing fleet in the Mediterranean. The study found that the Turkish fleet caught 3,270,799 kilograms of bluefin tuna in 2023 and 3,132,567 kilograms in 2024, using 74 and 70 fishing vessels, respectively. The carbon footprint per kilogram of tuna caught was 4.71 kilograms of CO2 in 2023 and 4.88 kilograms of CO2 in 2024. According to the study, the majority of the carbon footprint comes not from the fishing vessels themselves, but from the ships that transport the caught tuna to aquaculture facilities. Prof. Dr. Dereli emphasized that improving operational efficiency is crucial for reducing emissions, and that optimizing logistical processes, such as route planning and fuel consumption, can significantly reduce the carbon footprint of bluefin tuna fishing.