A tuna melt in Lake Tahoe sent me down a rabbit hole. How did a fish once harvested through ancient Mediterranean trap fisheries become a cheap pantry staple — and sometimes a luxury item worth thousands?

In this episode, we trace tuna’s journey from seasonal coastal ritual to industrial global commodity, uncover a real corporate price-fixing scandal involving major canned tuna brands, and explore how one simple sandwich connects migration, manufacturing, and modern convenience.

Your lunch didn’t get cheap by accident.

References:

Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. (n.d.). Tuna fisheries and resources. https://www.fao.org/fishery/en/topic/14854

International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas. (n.d.). Stock assessments and conservation measures. https://www.iccat.int/en/assess.htm

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Fisheries. (n.d.). Atlantic bluefin tuna (Thunnus thynnus). https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/species/atlantic-bluefin-tuna

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Fisheries. (n.d.). Pacific sardine (Sardinops sagax). https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/species/pacific-sardine

Smith, A. F. (Ed.). (2007). The Oxford companion to American food and drink. Oxford University Press.

Smithsonian Ocean Portal. (n.d.). Purse seine fishing. https://ocean.si.edu/ocean-life/fish/purse-seine-fishing

U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Public Affairs. (2017, May 8). Bumble Bee Foods LLC agrees to plead guilty to fixing prices of canned tuna. https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/bumble-bee-foods-llc-agrees-plead-guilty-fixing-prices-canned-tuna

U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Public Affairs. (2018, September 11). StarKist Co. ordered to pay $100 million criminal fine for participating in canned tuna price-fixing conspiracy. https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/starkist-co-ordered-pay-100-million-criminal-fine-participating-canned-tuna-price