English: Each year, in Carloforte, Sardinia, hundreds of blue fin tunas are caught in traps while they migrate to their breeding ground and later slaughtered. Animal Equality has documented both the natural behaviour of tunas underwater, and the plight of the blue fin tunas who are killed.

INVESTIGATION FINDINGS:

• Unnaturally high densities of tuna at the catching stage presented a significant stressor to individual animals.

• Fish were dragged from the ocean with giant sharp metal pick hooks and brought on-board ships.

• Extensive tissue damage was caused by the piercing, blunt hooks, and this is likely to have inflicted acute pain on the fish, who were still alive and conscious.

• The suspension of the tunas' body weight caused the further tearing of tissues as a result of gravity working against the hook.

• The struggling, frantic movements of the tuna whilst suspended in the air indicated that the fish were in pain and stress.

• Fish were observed being repeatedly stabbed with knives in the thoracic (chest) region and major arteries, causing death via exsanguination.

• Animals were slaughtered in the presence of conspecifics which is likely to cause additional stress.