Skipjack tuna commercial tunas, and its population is considered sustainable against its current consumption. Its fishing is still controversial due to the methodology, with rod and reel or fishery options being promoted as ecologically preferable. Purse seine methods are considered unsustainable by some authorities due to excess bycatch, although bycatch is said to be much reduced if fish aggregation devices are not used. These considerations have led to the availability of canned skipjack marked with the fishing method used to catch it. Skipjack is considered to have "moderate" mercury contamination. As a result, pregnant women are advised against eating large quantities. In
USS Skipjack (SSN-585) Atlantic transit. Down in the subsurface calm, the crew were hardly even aware of the turbulence above them. After returning to Norfolk, "Skipjack" conducted several exercises with ASW aircraft flying from air bases in Virginia and North Carolina. In these exercises "Skipjack" played the role of a Russian submarine; ASW forces were to locate, track and conduct simulated attacks against the "Skipjack". During the exercise, "Skipjack" was placed under certain handicaps that would not have been present in normal operations; for instance, she was restricted to a designated operating area measuring 20 miles by 10 miles. Also, at that time,