World Tuna Day is celebrated in May by the Marshall Islands Marine Resources Authority (MIMRA) and/or the Parties to Nauru Agreement (PNA). The day involves tuna cutting and sashimi competitions, with lots of free food for taste treats. The public is often asked to join in by painting posters or writing poems or essays. For example, below is the first-place poem written by the then Marshall Islands Journal’s reporter Kelly Lorennij in 2017.
Ode to Tunakind
By Kelly T. Lorennij
Dorsal of dark metallic blue
Ventral of pearly camouflage
They cast a silent sheen underwater
These Ferraris of the endless sea
Ode to the fine-scaled torpedoes of the deep
Great travelers of the blue world
Ode to the Thannini Tribe
to the Yellowfin, the White
to the Skipjack, the Bigeye
Ajbōkruo, L̗ōjabwil, im Bwebwe
Whose fates approach annihilation
Whose dolphin-sentinels must watch
as sharks, pirates, and bycatchers
take and take and take
for games, feasts, and stocks
Ode to these agile, sleek creatures
Canned or packaged
of roseate muscles
packed with nourishment
Their salty kingdom diminishes
and we are reminded
shattered by the island-old sayings
Jabōnkonnaan of wise men and women
Listen—remember:
“Jab kōmaat lo̗jet”
We have been warned
“Do not exhaust the ocean”
Ode to all Tunakind
may humankind
heed the call
for wisdom
for sanctuary
to champion
to kōjparok
im on̗aak e
a sea-ancient
ode
Message from the President’s Office on World Tuna Day
World Tuna Day was held on May 2, with most activities being held at Delap Park. World Tuna was declared a global event by the United Nations General Assembly in December 2016, a global holiday that showcases the importance of sustainably managed fish stocks in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
President Dr. Hilda Heine joined members of the Cabinet and Council of Iroij, officials from Parties to the Nauru Agreement (PNA) Office, Ministry of Natural Resources and Commerce, and Marshall Islands Marine Resources Authority, community members, students and teachers at Delap Park to celebrate the occasion.
She expressed her pleasure in attending the first nationally organized celebration of World Tuna Day and extended her gratitude to the Parties to the Nauru Agreement (PNA) team for their efforts.
The President also emphasized the importance of tuna as it provides food security, economic growth, social development, education, and part of our cultural heritage. She acknowledged the importance of the biological status and sustainability of tuna resources and the marine environment. She shared that the celebration of World Tuna Day is “fundamental in our quest for self-determination and in recognizing our sovereign rights in managing our tuna resources.” She further added that World Tuna Day is a reminder that as an ocean state, we must be smart about it. President Heine stated that we should be an avid participant in the foundation for a smart ocean and need to invest in innovative ways.
In her speech, she highlighted several accomplishments that were made over the years such as the implementation of the Vessel Days Scheme, tracking Fishing Aggregate Devices, Vessel Monitoring Scheme, 100 percent observer coverage, in-port transshipments, closing of the high seas pocket, and the improvement on data collection. She expressed that it is important to not lose sight of self-determination, nationhood, and sustainable development.
President Heine then reiterated RMI’s commitment to be responsible custodians of the world’s last remaining healthy tuna stocks. She announced that the celebration is a learning curve in recognizing and acknowledging the talents of the children in RMI. She conveyed her appreciation to all the participants for partaking in the various contests. She concluded her remarks by stating “We need to remind ourselves that we need to invest in our own people and build our own capacity in order to fully control our tuna fishery and this event provides us with that platform to advocate and cultivate innovative and creative young and brilliant ideas.”
