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World Oceans Day: Yellowfin tuna is being overfished says new report

Yellowfin tuna in the Pacific Ocean
Image caption,

Yellowfin tuna in the Pacific Ocean

It's World Oceans Day - this is a day of awareness about the ocean environment and what we can do to help keep our waters healthy.

A new report from the Blue Marine Foundation has found that yellowfin tuna caught in the Indian Ocean is being overfished.

There are worries that the stock of fish - the amount that is caught - will collapse as there are not enough fish left to catch.

According to the foundation, 700 tonnes of fresh and frozen yellowfin tuna is sold in UK each year.

Image source, Getty Images
Image caption,

Fishermen in the Indian Ocean

The European Union (EU), which the UK is still currently a part of, sets limits for member countries to make sure that fish are protected from being overly harvested.

But a leaked letter from the South African government has claimed that Spain might be catching more fish than the EU quota.

There have now been calls from campaigners for people to stop buying yellowfin tuna.

By limiting the amount of fishing of yellowfin tuna, it might also help other marine life - such as sharks, turtles and seabirds, who often get caught in fishing nets.