|
Description: Albacore tuna is a finfish
distinguished by a dark blue back, and silverwhite
sides and belly. Adult albacore tuna have
pectoral fins that extend past the second dorsal
fin and anal fin. Its flesh is pink when raw and
off-white when cooked. Mature albacore tuna
can reach as much as 45 kg (100 lbs) although
the average market weight is 9 kg (20 lbs).
Albacore tuna has a mild taste and soft texture.
Product Forms: Albacore tuna is available
fresh, frozen-at-sea, hot and cold smoked, and
canned. Fresh and frozen tuna are available as
whole fish or portioned as steaks or loins.
Availability: Fresh tuna is available from June
to late fall with the peak commercial fishery
occurring in September. Canned, smoked and
frozen tuna are available year round.
Buying Tips: The meat of fresh tuna should
appear bright and translucent and the texture
should be soft and oily. When buying frozen tuna,
look for product that is solidly frozen with no
apparent freezer burn or film of yellow oil on the
skin.
In general, avoid product that includes bruises,
blood spots and tears. In addition, the meat
should never have a "fishy" or strong odor.
Storing Tips: Tuna must be chilled on ice
quickly to avoid spoilage and histamine poisoning.
While fresh tuna is best used within 24 hours of
purchase, it has a 3 to 4 day shelf-life if stored at
0°C (32° F).
Previously frozen and defrosted tuna is best if
used within a day. Once cooked, tuna can be
refrozen, but do not refreeze uncooked meat.
Preparation/Usage: Because tuna has
virtually no connective tissue, the raw meat is
very soft and must be supported at all times to
keep it from falling apart. Albacore tuna must
also be kept moist or it will lose its flavor and
become tough.
It is important not to overcook tuna as it quickly
loses its flavour and moisture. Once cooked, the
flesh will become firm and the colour will become
near-white. To avoid overcooking, remove tuna
from the heat source while the meat is still pink
in the center.
With a mild taste and soft texture, albacore tuna
lends itself to a variety of preparation methods
including grilling, broiling and searing. It is also
very popular served raw, sashimi style.
Area of Origin and Range of Availability:
Albacore tuna is harvested in the warmer waters of
the northern Pacific off the west coast of North
America from the Queen Charlotte Islands in British
Columbia to California.
Albacore tuna is also found in the waters around
Hawaii and the East Coast of Japan; in the southern
Pacific near New Zealand; and, in the eastern Atlantic
off the coast of Spain as far north as the Bay of
Biscay, as far south as Africa, and sparsely in the
western Atlantic along the coast of North America.
Harvest Volume: Approximately 5,000 metric
tonnes of tuna are harvested each year in British
Columbia.
Harvest Method:
In Canada, albacore tuna is
harvested by pole and line surface trolling. The
primary harvest method uses "tuna jigs" which are
a relatively large lure containing two barbless hooks
and a colourful plastic skirt. The jigs are towed
behind the boat along the surface at speeds above
five knots and the tuna is then brought onboard live
using one of two hydraulic haulers attached along
the stern.
|
Processing Method: Once on-board, the
albacore tuna is stunned, cut and put into chilled
water containers to allow the fish to bleed and cool
before being placed on freezer trays located on
board. This process maintains maximum quality
and fully reduces the build-up of histamine, an
organic substance that results in scombroid
poisoning if eaten. The fish are frozen as fast as
possible to -30°C (-22° F) and stored at this
temperature until the fish are delivered to shore.
Once on shore, the albacore tuna are placed in
commercial freezers and maintained at the coldest
temperatures to stop oil migration.
Markets: Albacore tuna is sold in Canada, the
United States and Spain. Blast-frozen tuna is sold
to the sashimi market in Japan.
Sustainability: British Columbia's tuna fishery
is governed by the US/Canadian Tuna Treaty and
monitored through a logbook program. In addition,
the use of barbless hooks in harvesting minimizes
by-catch. Furthermore, Canadian fishermen have
endorsed the Convention on the Conservation and
Management of Highly Migratory Fish Stocks in the
Western and Central Pacific Ocean, which once in
force will ensure albacore tuna catches do not exceed
sustainable levels.
Historical and Anecdotal Information:
Use of gillnets (high seas drift nets) thoroughly
disrupted harvests of other tuna fishing methods in
the 1980s and early 1990s. An international moratorium
on the use of high seas drift nets has led to
the recovery of the trawl fishery in recent years.
Due to its white meat colour, albacore tuna is
sometimes referred to as the “Chicken of the Sea”.
In fact, it is the only species allowed to be labeled
as “white meat” tuna.
| NUTRITIONAL
INFORMATION |
| Per
3.5 oz/100 grams of raw edible portion |
 |
| Calories |
172 |
| Total
fat |
7.2
g |
| Saturated
fat |
1.9
g |
| Protein |
25.2
g |
| Cholesterol |
38.0
mg |
| Sodium |
51.0
mg |
| Omega-3 Fatty Acids |
2.1
mg |
|
|
Source: The Complete Seafood Handbook
Please Note: A recent mercury analysis test was conducted
by SGS Canada Inc. located in Vancouver, BC by chief chemist,
Ron Kuriyedath. The test results on total mercury were far
below the Canadian Food Inspection allowable standard
which is even further below the US acceptable level.
The Canadian Highly Migratory Species Foundation will
conduct on-going tests which address the alleged risks of
pregnant and breast-feeding women eating albacore tuna.
|
|
For Additional Information And A List
Of Current Product Suppliers, Contact:
| BC Tuna Fishermen’s Association
Box 372, Shawnigan Lake,
British Columbia, Canada V0R 2W0
Phone: 250.743.5002
Fax: 250.743.1139
email: bctfa@shaw.ca
website: www.bctfa.com
Canadian Highly Migratory Species Foundation
48729 Maplegrove Street,
Victoria, British Columbia,
Canada V8Y 3B9
Phone: 250.658.0179
Fax: 250.658.4709 |
|
