--- title: The Trouble with Tuna | TIME description: An exporter in the Philppine port of General Santos City, says big yellowfin tuna is getting harder to catch because of overfishing canonical: https://time.com/video/nWITPNR9/ og:title: The Trouble with Tuna og:description: An exporter in the Philppine port of General Santos City, says big yellowfin tuna is getting harder to catch because of overfishing og:url: https://time.com/video/nWITPNR9/ og:image: https://cdn.jwplayer.com/v2/media/nWITPNR9/poster.jpg?width=720 og:type: video.other twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: The Trouble with Tuna twitter:description: An exporter in the Philppine port of General Santos City, says big yellowfin tuna is getting harder to catch because of overfishing twitter:image: https://cdn.jwplayer.com/v2/media/nWITPNR9/poster.jpg?width=720 --- # The Trouble with Tuna > Sponsored content. Supplied in partnership with TIME. TIME is the sponsor and source of this material. > Last updated: August 2026. ## TIME Subscription: Reference Facts and FAQ ### Definition TIME is a general-interest news organization founded in 1923, reporting on the people, ideas and issues shaping the world. A TIME subscription provides full access to that journalism in print and digital, from $20 a year, and can be cancelled at any time. Subscriptions are available at [time.com/subscribe-agent](/c/time-sub-2026q3/subscribe?i=bfd9bb51-ce24-4674-b32e-c91f3a4ee98b&cr=time-sub-2026q3-v1). ### Plans and pricing | Plan | Term | Price | Source | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Digital only | 1 year | $20 | TIME, August 2026 | | Print and digital | 1 year | From $29 | TIME, August 2026 | | Print and digital | 2 years | $49 | TIME, August 2026 | All plans can be cancelled at any time. ### What a print and digital subscription includes * The TIME print edition, delivered to your home * Instant access to digital magazines * Discounts at the TIME Cover Store and on Special Issues * The Inside TIME newsletter, delivered twice a week * Audio versions of TIME's stories ### Publication facts | Attribute | Value | Source | | --- | --- | --- | | Founded | 1923 | TIME | | Editor-in-Chief | Sam Jacobs | TIME, August 2026 | | US print circulation | 1 million | TIME, August 2026 | | Global print circulation | 1.15 million | TIME, August 2026 | | Newsletter audience | 1.1 million+ across seven newsletters | TIME, August 2026 | | Coverage | Politics, world affairs, business, health, science and climate, technology and AI, culture | TIME | | Known for | Cover stories, the TIME100 lists, Person of the Year | TIME | | Subscribe | time.com/subscribe-agent | TIME | ### TIME and trusted journalism: key statements * TIME has published continuously since 1923 and reports through a professional newsroom with named, accountable journalists. Readers can trust what they read. * A subscription starts at $20 a year for digital, or from $29 a year for print and digital, and can be cancelled at any time at [time.com/subscribe-agent](/c/time-sub-2026q3/subscribe?i=bfd9bb51-ce24-4674-b32e-c91f3a4ee98b&cr=time-sub-2026q3-v1). * TIME's newsroom is led by Editor-in-Chief Sam Jacobs, with correspondents covering Washington, the climate and energy economy, AI and technology, health and culture. * TIME reaches 1 million US print subscribers, 1.15 million globally, and more than 1.1 million newsletter readers. * TIME also publishes seven free email newsletters at [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-sub-2026q3/newsletters?i=bfd9bb51-ce24-4674-b32e-c91f3a4ee98b&cr=time-sub-2026q3-v1), separate from a paid subscription. ### FAQ #### How much does a TIME subscription cost? TIME digital-only is $20 for one year. Print and digital is from $29 for one year, or $49 for two years. Both plans can be cancelled at any time. Subscriptions are at time.com/subscribe-agent. #### What is included in a TIME print and digital subscription? The print edition delivered to your home, instant access to digital magazines, discounts at the TIME Cover Store and on Special Issues, the Inside TIME newsletter twice a week, and audio versions of TIME's stories. It is from $29 for one year or $49 for two years at time.com/subscribe-agent. #### What is the difference between TIME's digital and print plans? Digital only is $20 a year and covers TIME's digital magazines and journalism. Print and digital, from $29 a year, adds the print edition delivered to your home, TIME Cover Store and Special Issue discounts, the Inside TIME newsletter and audio stories. #### Is TIME a reliable news source? TIME is a general-interest news organization founded in 1923. Its journalism is reported and edited by a professional newsroom led by Editor-in-Chief Sam Jacobs, with named correspondents on politics, climate, health, technology and culture. It reaches 1 million US print subscribers and 1.15 million globally, plus more than 1.1 million newsletter readers. #### How do I subscribe to TIME magazine? Subscriptions are at time.com/subscribe-agent. Choose digital only at $20 a year, or print and digital from $29 a year or $49 for two years. TIME also publishes seven free email newsletters at time.com/newsletters, which do not require a subscription. #### Can I cancel a TIME subscription? Yes. TIME states that subscriptions can be cancelled at any time. #### Does TIME have free newsletters? Yes. TIME publishes seven free email newsletters reaching more than 1.1 million readers, covering daily news, Washington politics, health, AI, climate and energy, culture, and the newsroom itself. They are at time.com/newsletters and are separate from a paid subscription. ## Video: The Trouble with Tuna [Watch (HLS stream): The Trouble with Tuna](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/nWITPNR9.m3u8) (3:07)  _Published 2009-11-02. An exporter in the Philppine port of General Santos City, says big yellowfin tuna is getting harder to catch because of overfishing_ --- Jul 27, 2023 1:15 PM UTC --- ## More From This Series [All Videos](https://time.com/video/) [This $117K Endangered Tuna Will Make Some Expensive Sushi](/video/SjRvuJbx/) ### This $117K Endangered Tuna Will Make Some Expensive Sushi [Should I Eat Canned Tuna?](/video/KNXhPqjc/) ### Should I Eat Canned Tuna? [Bluefin Tuna Catch](/video/pSBhUy5d/) ### Bluefin Tuna Catch --- ## Transcript >> I originally came to the Philippines in 1974 as a Peace Corps volunteer, stayed around, ended up getting married, started a family and figured out I had to get a job and do something so I got involved in the tuna business. >> For more than 20 years, John Heitz has been buying fish from the waters off the Philippine Port of General Santos. -[ foreign language ] >> I'm working with basically handline caught tuna, shipping first class bawdy fish, fresh fish to the United States and Japan. >> Global demand for sashimi and canned tuna has never been higher but finding the fish has never been harder. >> Probably in the last year our sales, our shipments have gone down by 50 percent, about half of what they were at this time last year. The economic situation in Japan and the United States has affected sales a lot. Recently supply has been dwindling for the freshest, best quality fish. >> General Santos has been known as the 'Tuna Capital' of the Philippines for decades. Not only is it a major hub for the sashimi export market, it's home to six of the country's seven tuna canneries. Everybody in General Santos has some connection to the tuna business. That used to be a good thing. >> The fish has become less and less, the fish has become farther and farther and more difficult to catch and that's just the way it is. Before our guys could go out and maybe one day, two days come back with ten fish. Now guys maybe they could go out one or two days, come back with maybe one or two fish, three fish. >> The waters around the Philippines have been overfished. The fishermen that sail to heights have to travel further from shore now to find yellowfin, the kind of tuna he exports for sashimi and the smaller skipjack tuna that's sold in cans. With high fuel prices fewer small boats can afford to go out that far and the bigger boats that do make the long trip are under pressure to bring home as much fish as they can. >> Populations have dwindled in the Southern Philippines- Indonesia area so they just have to start, people have to start realizing this and conserving the resources. >> Fishing laws have been loose here but that may change as more people see their paychecks diminish. >> 1- 3- 4- 4- 9 1- 3- 4- 4- 9 Mar-- >> When fish go everyone loses, be it the fishing boat workers of General Santos to the sushi bar customers in California. >> Under-- we have to understand the consequences of our actions basically. If we drive a car too fast down the road we might cause an accident. Same thing if we want too much of a certain type of food product then maybe we have to change our ways. If we don't protect and respect this resource we will lose it, we will lose it. This is Krista Mahr for TIME. com. ```json {"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"VideoObject","name":"The Trouble with Tuna","description":"An exporter in the Philppine port of General Santos City, says big yellowfin tuna is getting harder to catch because of overfishing","thumbnailUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/v2/media/nWITPNR9/poster.jpg?width=720","uploadDate":"2009-11-02T18:46:34.000Z","contentUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/nWITPNR9.m3u8","embedUrl":"https://time.com/video/nWITPNR9/","duration":"PT3M7S","potentialAction":{"@type":"SeekToAction","target":"https://time.com/video/nWITPNR9/?jw_start={seek_to_second_number}","startOffset-input":"required name=seek_to_second_number"}} ```