The gruesome history of canning tuna in Italy

Grants | Legacy Digitization | Topics | Business & Industry | Environment |
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As they have done since the year 800, Sicilians hunt huge bluefin tuna, using net traps set on the floor of the Mediterranean. It was here that tuna was first canned in olive oil, a development that opened a world wide market. Now the entire catch is sold to Japanese, and flown direct to the Tokyo fish market where a single tuna can cost tens of thousands of dollars. Those changes have done little to change how the Sicilians fish. Author Theresa Maggio first saw the hunt almost a decade ago, and returned year after year to watch the ancient ritual, which she says cannot last much longer due to over fishing in other parts of the world. She told Minnesota Public Radio's Euan Kerr her book "Mattanza" (mah-TAN-zah) is named for the final slaughter.

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