Oats and Iron

• I have seen the price increase over 250% of tongol tuna at Whole Foods. From $.99 per can in 2008 to currently $2.69 per can.
• 365 Everyday (Whole Foods private label) has apparently stopped selling canned tongol tuna.
• Trader Joe’s has apparently stopped selling canned tongol tuna.

Is this a result of over-fishing?

I like tongol tuna because it usually has lower mercury levels than albacore, and the product is typically a nice chunky white meat. Yes I am a canned tuna fish dork :-)

More info on tongol tuna (source):

• The Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch program says that most tongol tuna is ranked as “Avoid” due to high levels of bycatch and poor enforcement of fisheries regulations. So maybe that is why it is no longer being sold by Trader Joe’s and Whole Foods in-house brands.
• Unlike most other commercially caught tuna species that travel the world’s oceans, tongol tuna is “neritic,” meaning it favors nearshore waters. It’s found in the Indian and Western Pacific Oceans.
• Tongol tuna has a limited migration pattern and low mercury level. 
• Over 90 percent of tongol tuna in the market comes from four nations: Indonesia, Iran, Malaysia and Thailand. All have numerous management measures in place to help protect tongol tuna populations; however, Malaysia is the only one that also has adequate enforcement. For this reason, tongol tuna from Malaysia is ranked as a “Good Alternative.”