# Tuna fishing history spans 44,000 years

> Ancient tuna fishing traces back 44,000 years to East Timor.
- Title: Tuna fishing history spans 44,000 years · The Conversation
- Summary: Ancient tuna fishing traces back 44,000 years to East Timor. People have harvested tuna for 44,000 years, with evidence from East Timor dating to 44,000…
- Keywords: tuna, east timor, archaeology, bluefin tuna, tuna fishing, ocean predators, human history, fishing, science, ideas, history, spans
- Source: The Conversation — https://theconversation.com/hooked-on-tuna-people-have-been-harvesting-these-ocean-predators-for-44-000-years-292428
- Author: Emma Elliott Smith
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: tuna, east timor, archaeology, bluefin tuna, tuna fishing, ocean predators, human history, fishing, science, ideas
## Tuna fishing history
People have harvested tuna for 44,000 years, with evidence from East Timor dating to 44,000 years ago.
## Tuna as global food
Tuna is used in mayonnaise sandwiches and expensive sashimi, with bluefin tunas fetching millions at auction.
## Tuna species and size
Tuna includes 15 species, with Pacific bluefin reaching 10 feet and living over 40 years.
## Tuna migration patterns
Pacific bluefin migrate 5,000 miles across the northern Pacific in months.
## Tuna as ocean sentinels
Tuna are apex predators that serve as sentinels of ocean health.
## Earliest tuna fishing
Archaeologists found skipjack tuna bones in Jerimalai Cave, East Timor, 44,000 years ago.
## Ancient tuna fishing in Europe
Ancient Greeks used tuna for sacrifices to Poseidon, with bones found in Greek caves.
## Mediterranean tuna fishery
By 3,000 years ago, Mediterranean bluefin tuna fisheries were large-scale with trade networks.
## Pacific bluefin fishing
Indigenous people in Nuu-chah-nulth territory fished Pacific bluefin for 6,000 years.
## Modern tuna industry
Tuna fisheries now support a global industry worth US$40 billion annually.
## Tuna conservation status
Three tuna species remain endangered, vulnerable or near threatened.
## Sustainable fishing future
Effective governance and monitoring may stabilize tuna populations despite intensive harvests.
## Key takeaway

People have harvested tuna for 44,000 years, with evidence from East Timor dating to 44,000 years ago.