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The Journey of Tuna

52 images Created 20 Nov 2008

"The story of a Yellowfin tuna fish starts from the near-idyllic waters of the Maldives and the deck of a Dhoni fishing boat in the Indian ocean. Its travels continue through local processing factories, an Airbus container and Heathrow cargo sheds before reaching the dinner plate one Friday night in England."

These 50 images come from the book The Pleasures and Sorrows of Work by Alain de Botton, published by Hamish Hamilton in April 2009.

This gallery is part of a short series relating to this book, though their titles have in some cases been adapted for this archive. They are viewed here as a showcase but will be released for sale on the 1st April 2009 at Photoshelter and Alamy or exclusively at CORBIS and therefore each file has its own restrictions which can be read within its metadata.

The book pictures are reproduced in black and white but all appear here in colour.

A blog story about the project's photography is here:
http://wp.me/p3fbj-4j

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  • Aerial view of a passing boat and one of 1,192 coral  inhabited and deserted islands in the Islamic Republic of Maldives.
    maldives168-13-11-2007.jpg
  • Processing yellow fin tuna at Cyprea Marine Foods EU-standard factory at Himmafushi, Republic of Maldives.
    maldives103-12-11-2007.jpg
  • A makeshift shrine for a dead tourist who loved the Maldives and whose family left a memorial plaque on Naifaru Island.
    maldives347-15-11-2007.jpg
  • A portrait of President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, President of the Republic of Maldives stands under a tropical sun on Meedu Island.
    maldives176-13-11-2007.jpg
  • A group of young boys play in the calm waters of the Indian Ocean on Meedu Island, in the Republic of the Maldives. The shallows are a safe playground for these kids who swim and splash about in the clear shallows next to two small dhoni boats often used to fish using traditional hand and line, an important source of income for remote communities in this island nation. The sea is perfectly clear blue and the sand coral-white, in jeopardy to rising sea levels as global warming makes sea level locations like this vulnerable to flooding. The Maldives comprise of twenty-six atolls, featuring 1,192 coral islands of which 80 are holiday resorts with 200 inhabited by indigenous communities. This Islamic nation of 298 sq km (115 sq miles), lie seven hundred kilometres (435 miles) south-west of Sri Lanka.
    maldives207-13-11-2007.jpg
  • Household refuse pollutes a coral beach on Meedu Island, an indigenous community in the Republic of the Maldives in the Indian Ocean. Packaging, foodstuffs and general waste has been tossed away on this otherwise beautiful place, north of the capital Male. Unfortunately, the practice of tossing away one's rubbish is a normal practice in this culture, the local people selfishly unconcerned about the future of their habitat and the health of their community. Only a few miles from Meedu are islands that serve as holiday resorts where families from Europe travel by air for the perffect vacation - unaware that fly-tipping is so widespread that it threatens this nation's worldwide status as a paradise on earth..
    maldives212-13-11-2007.jpg
  • A fisherman walks on a white coral sand beach past a palm tree trunk and dhoni fishing boat being repaired on Meedu Island
    maldives208-13-11-2007.jpg
  • The crew aboard a traditional dhoni fishing boat prepare for another day's fishing for tuna on the Indian Ocean, Maldives.
    maldives220-14-11-2007.jpg
  • A young Muslim fisherman's wife smiles while sitting on the bed of her rented bungalow on Himmafushi factory island, Maldives..
    maldives149-12-11-2007.jpg
  • Upper-deck chair and wheel with navigator's carpet board a traditional dhoni fishing boat on the Indian Ocean, Maldives.
    maldives223-14-11-2007.jpg
  • A Maldivian crew rest before a day's yellow fin tuna fishing aboard a traditional dhoni fishing boat on the Indian Ocean
    maldives329-14-11-2007.jpg
  • A lookout scans the horizon for tuna fish aboard a traditional Maldivian dhoni fishing boat on calm waters of the Indian Ocean
    maldives307-14-11-2007.jpg
  • A Maldivian crewman cuts betel nut before a day's yellow fin tuna fishing on traditional dhoni fishing boat on the Indian Ocean
    maldives309-14-11-2007.jpg
  • Fishermen from the Maldives haul aboard a yellow fin tuna to the deck of a dhoni boat in the Indian Ocean. The tuna has been swimming across the Indian Ocean non-stop since birth but after being dragged up with hooks, the 50kg fish will be clubbed to death by smashing its skull with repeated blows. Next it will be gutted efficiently with sharp knives and immediately plunged into ice containers to cool the flesh, reducing the risk of self-deteriorating flushed blood which renders it unfit for consumption under EU law (its live internal core temperature is 40 degrees centigrade). When as many fish have been caught before dark using hand and line method, rather than nets, the boat presses on to the processing factory at Himmafushi where they're filleted and boxed for export to Europe and in particular, for UK supermarkets like Sainsbury's.
    maldives298-14-11-2007.jpg
  • A fisherman from the Maldives clubs to death a yellow fin tuna on the deck of a dhoni boat in the Indian Ocean. Using a handmade instrument of death, carved from beach flotsam, the man raises his hands to again bring the club down on the dying fish whose skull has already been smashed by repeated blows. Next it will be gutted efficiently with sharp knives and immediately plunged into ice containers to cool the flesh, reducing the risk of self-deteriorating flushed blood which renders it unfit for consumption under EU law (its live internal core temperature is 40 degrees centigrade). When as many fish have been caught before dark using hand and line method, rather than nets, the boat presses on to the processing factory at Himmafushi where they're filleted and boxed for export to Europe and in particular, for UK supermarkets like Sainsbury's.
    maldives279-14-11-2007.jpg
  • Hosing down a freshly-killed line caught yellow fin tuna fish on the blue deck of a traditional dhoni fishing boat, Maldives
    maldives280-14-11-2007.jpg
  • Hosing down a freshly-killed line caught yellow fin tuna fish on the blue deck of a traditional dhoni fishing boat, Maldives
    maldives315-14-11-2007.jpg
  • A fisherman from the Maldives sits making a call on his mobile cell phone on the bow of a dhoni boat which heads along on a calm Indian Ocean. After a hard day's fishing he gazes forward to open sea where an almost uninterrupted view of sea and horizon is seen beyond except for a small island is faintly in view. Even small remote atoll communites in the Maldives have strong phone signals and many also have good Wi-Fi connections. He and his crew have been catching Yellow Fin Tuna in the seas north of the capital Male in this Islamic Republic. Their catch is for export to the EU and in particular, the UK's supermarkets. There is no limit and no obvious destination, just infinity and the thought of tomorrow.
    maldives339-14-11-2007.jpg
  • Maldivian crewmen arrive home late after a day's yellow fin tuna fishing aboard a dhoni fishing boat on the Indian Ocean
    maldives344-14-11-2007.jpg
  • Young cashier wearing the hejab awaits customers at the state-run MIFCO exporting 100% Maldivian seafoods to Europe and Asia .
    maldives55-12-11-2007.jpg
  • A crowded business dealing in cash from street customers buying sundries in a side street in Male, Maldives.
    maldives373-15-11-2007.jpg
  • Imported bananas and other expensive sundries on display against a pink painted wall in a side street of Male, Maldives
    maldives375-15-11-2007.jpg
  • Imported foodstuffs and and expensive sundries on display in a side street shop window in Male, Maldives
    maldives378-15-11-2007.jpg
  • In the shade of mid-day heat near a mural, Maldivian youths sit about on a park bench in the Maldives capital Male.
    maldives402-15-11-2007.jpg
  • Masked manager for yellow fin tuna processing at Cyprea Marine Foods EU-standard factory at Himmafushi, Republic of Maldives.
    maldives83-12-11-2007.jpg
  • Processing yellow fin tuna at Cyprea Marine Foods EU-standard factory island of Himmafushi, Republic of Maldives.
    maldives143-12-11-2007.jpg
  • Ex-Tsunami fishermen processing yellow fin tuna at Cyprea Marine Foods EU-standard factory at Himmafushi, Republic of Maldives.
    maldives133-12-11-2007.jpg
  • Processing yellow fin tuna at Cyprea Marine Foods EU-standard factory at Himmafushi, Republic of Maldives.
    maldives94-12-11-2007.jpg
  • Two employees of Cyprea Marine Foods fillet freshly-caught  yellow fin tuna fish at the company's refrigerated processing factory on Himmafushi island, Maldives. The 50kg carcasses have been swimming across the Indian Ocean non-stop since birth and just line-caught by freelance boat crews who share profits for only high-quality fish that passes stringent health tests. The tuna has been in ice since being landed to keep a low-temperature body core so the workers cut out the prime flesh as quickly as possible before boxing the resulting chunks of steak for export by air to Europe and in particular for customers such as UK's Sainsbury's supermarket. The Sri Lankan workers are ex-fishermen and widowers, having lost their families during the Tsunami. Using extremely sharp knives, they skillfully remove valuable meat and throw away the rest.
    maldives89-12-11-2007.jpg
  • An employee of Cyprea Marine Foods fillets freshly-caught  yellow fin tuna fish at the company's refrigerated processing factory on Himmafushi island, Maldives. The 50kg carcasses have been swimming across the Indian Ocean non-stop since birth and just line-caught by freelance boat crews who share profits for only high-quality fish that passes stringent health tests. The tuna has been in ice since being landed to keep a low-temperature body core so the workers cut out the prime flesh as quickly as possible before boxing the resulting chunks of steak for export by air to Europe and in particular for customers such as UK's Sainsbury's supermarket. The Sri Lankan workers are ex-fishermen and widowers, having lost their families during the Tsunami. Using extremely sharp knives, they skillfully remove valuable meat and throw away the rest.
    maldives93-12-11-2007.jpg
  • Discarding carcass of yellow fin tuna at Cyprea Marine Foods EU-standard factory at Himmafushi, Republic of Maldives.
    maldives116-12-11-2007.jpg
  • A tuna fish's sharp yellow fin protrudes from shredded ice at the Cyprea Marine Foods processing factory on Himmafushi Island, Maldives. The 50kg carcasses have been swimming across the Indian Ocean non-stop since birth and having just been line-caught by freelance boat crews who share profits for only high-quality fish that passes stringent health tests. The tuna has been encased in ice since being landed at sea to keep a low-temperature body core so the workers cut out the prime flesh as quickly as possible before boxing the resulting chunks of steak for export by air to Europe and in particular for customers such as UK's Sainsbury's supermarket. The Sri Lankan butchers are ex-fishermen and widowers, having lost their families during the Tsunami. Using extremely sharp knives, they skillfully remove valuable meat and throw away the rest.
    maldives135-12-11-2007.jpg
  • The tail and sharp barbs of a freshly-caught yellow fin tuna fish lies inert on a filleting table at a refrigerated processing factory on Himmafushi island, Maldives. The 50kg carcass has been swimming across the Indian Ocean non-stop since birth and just line-caught by freelance boat crews who share profits for only high-quality fish that passes stringent health tests. The tuna has been in ice since being landed at sea to keep a low-temperature body core so the workers cut out the prime flesh as quickly as possible before boxing the resulting chunks of steak for export by air to Europe and in particular for customers such as UK's Sainsbury's supermarket. The filleting is performed by Sri Lankan ex-fishermen and widowers, having lost their families during the Tsunami. Using sharp knives, they skillfully remove valuable meat and throw the rest.
    maldives98-12-11-2007.jpg
  • On the apron of Malé International Airport, Maldives, a Sri Lankan Airlines A340-300 series Airbus prepares for departure
    maldives432-15-11-2007.jpg
  • Using the Ball Mat Flooring System, below economy class flooring, a cargo handler manhandles a container of freight in the hold of a Sri Lankan Airlines Airbus A340
    maldives441-15-11-2007.jpg
  • The captain of a Sri Lankan Airlines A340-300 series Airbus prepares his aircraft for departure to Colombo.
    maldives460-15-11-2007.jpg
  • The flight-deck crew of a Sri Lankan Airlines A340-300 series Airbus - registration number 4R-ADE - perform a series of pre-flight checks before a scheduled departure, while on the apron at Malé international airport in the Republic of the Maldives. Featuring electronic instruments it is known as a 'glass cockpit' and using a printed checklist manual, they methodically work through dozens of complex systems that require accurate input before the aircraft is ready for take off. Flight navigation computers, fuel and engine settings and radio frequencies all need programming by the two pilots, the captain on the left and the First Officer on the right. These modern airliners have only two pilots in a modern flight-deck as technology superceeded the need for a third member, the flight-engineers of a previous era of aviation.
    maldives452-15-11-2007.jpg
  • iXPLOR moving map technology gives the air traveller real-time geographical positions on an economy class airline seat.
    maldives507-16-11-2007.jpg
  • Honeymoon couple on their return home after a holiday in the Maldives return home in economy class, happy.
    maldives492-16-11-2007.jpg
  • With cabin lights dimmed, economy class passengers sleep under blankets on an international long-haul flight
    maldives496-16-11-2007.jpg
  • Dented, empty airline freight containers and pallets are stacked up in a Heathrow warehouse car park awaiting the next shipment
    new_england11-27-11-2007.jpg
  • Consignment of fresh Maldives tuna held in cold storage at a Heathrow airport warehouse before onwards shipment
    new_england04-27-11-2007.jpg
  • Stamped consignment details on a polystyrene box of fresh Maldives tuna held in storage at a heathrow airport warehouse
    new_england02-27-11-2007.jpg
  • An employee of New England Seafoods, importers of fish products, leaves by the main entrance under a model sailfish
    new_england52-27-11-2007.jpg
  • Pairs of insulated, anti-slip Dunlop Acifort Wellington boots await users a cold room of New England seafood importers
    new_england58-27-11-2007.jpg
  • Portrait of an employee in apron  of fish product importers New England Seafoods, standing in the processing room
    new_england75-27-11-2007.jpg
  • Employees of fish product importers New England Seafoods, carefully transfer fresh tuna steaks ready for processing
    new_england71-27-11-2007.jpg
  • A plastic food tray of prime Maldives-sourced yellow fin tuna steaks makes its journey along a conveyor belt at New England seafood suppliers in Chessington, London England. Driven along by a blue chain it will next be sealed before shipment. Flown by air freight from the Maldives where it has been traditionally line caught in the Indian Ocean, this fish is bound for the UK's main supermarkets. New England Seafood is a major supplier of fresh and frozen premium sustainable fish and seafood in the UK and one of the largest importers of fresh tuna. Their customers are: the UK?s leading supermarkets including Marks & Spencer, Sainsbury?s and Waitrose; as well as smaller retail outlets; restaurant chains; food service markets and wholesale sectors nationwide.
    new_england91-27-11-2007.jpg
  • An employee of fish importers New England Seafoods, monitors the labelling of a supermarket order of fresh Maldives tuna
    new_england97-27-11-2007.jpg
  • A roll of sticky labels for tuna steaks lie in stationery cupboard destined for the shelves of retail chain Marks & Spencer
    new_england51-27-11-2007.jpg
  • Fresh Maldives line caught yellow fin tuna steaks are grilled in heavy pan on a Friday night in a London kitchen
    new_england146-15-12-2007 .jpg
  • A young 10 year-old boy enjoys a fresh Maldives line caught yellow fin tuna steak, grilled in his London home on a Friday night
    new_england160-15-12-2007 .jpg
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