Skipjack tuna addition, skipjack's livers were tested globally for tributyltin contamination. TBT is an organotin compound introduced into marine ecosystems through antifouling paint used on ship hulls, and has been determined to be very toxic. About 90% of skipjack tested positive for contamination, especially in Southeast Asia, where regulations of TBT use are less rigorous than in Europe or the US. Skipjack tuna is used extensively in Japanese cuisine, where it is known as . Besides being eaten seared () and raw in sushi and sashimi, it is also smoked and dried to make katsuobushi, the central ingredient in dashi (a common
Skipjack (boat) oyster harvest has since declined steadily, especially at the end of the 20th century. The size of the fleet has likewise declined. New skipjacks were built as late as 1993, but a change in the law in 1965 allowed the use of motor power two days of the week. As a result, few of the boats are operated under sail in commercial use; instead, a pushboat is used to move the skipjack, and little dredging is done except on the days that power is allowed. At one time, the number of skipjacks produced is estimated at approximately 2,000; today, they