Skipjack is sustainable canned tuna
Skipjack tuna from the Atlantic Ocean, in Latin Katsowonus pelamis, is also known by the names Atlantic b onito and striped bonito . The species belongs to the family Scombridae, where it is described as a medium-sized fish. The Scombridae family contains 51 species, among which mackerels are found. This kinship is revealed, among other things, by the striped belly and greenish back, which are the characteristics of the Skipjack tuna. The species Skipjack is a fast-growing tuna and becomes sexually mature in its first year of life, which is why it is highly reproductive and resistant to overfishing. When Santa Catarina's anglers skipjack tuna, they typically weigh 5 to 8 kg. corresponding to an age of between 3 and 5 years. The size also tells us that the Skipjack belongs to the smallest tuna fish. For comparison, we have the bluefin tuna, which managed to get away with 400 kg. and live for up to 20-25 years.
Organizations such as WWF and MSC give blue stamps to skipjack tuna for canned tuna. Read more at WWF
Fewer heavy metals
Skipjack tuna naturally has a lower content of heavy metals than the large tuna fish, such as the bluefin tuna. This is because mercury accumulates over time in the flesh of the tuna. Tuna are predatory fish, and particularly predatory fish accumulate heavy metals through their food, so the older a tuna is, the more it has eaten and the more heavy metals it has therefore accumulated. As a rule of thumb, you can say; canned tuna rather than tuna steaks, at least when it comes to heavy metals. Smaller and younger tuna naturally accumulate fewer heavy metals. If you would like to read more and learn more about tuna and heavy metals, here is a link to an article .
At Santa Catarina, frequent spot checks are carried out on the tuna. Generally, skipjack tunas contain 0.20 to 0.25 mg. mercury, corresponding to 65-70% less mercury than the Danish Veterinary and Food Administration's limit value for how much mercury tinned tuna can contain. The limit value is 1.0 mg. Do not hesitate to contact Grøndals if you want insight into these controls from Santa Catarina.
