Thoughts on Tuna: The End of the Spicy Tuna Roll?

Four Fish: The Future of the Last Wild FoodFour Fish: The Future of the Last Wild FoodOne of the blogs that I follow on Google Reader is The Ethicuran, a blog devoted to food news, policy, safety, and a general mission to "chew the right thing." It's insightful, critical, and well-balanced, offering thought-provoking articles and managing (for the most part) to avoid preachiness.

A post from this weekend highlights the fact that scientists in Canada have declared the bluefin tuna to be endangered, meaning it faces "imminent extirpation or extinction." Bluefin is the delicious, ruby red tuna (toro) that we eat at sushi restaurants in rolls and nigiri, or sear in large steaks, crusted in sesame seeds. It's delicious: fatty, tender, and rich. Unfortunately, this deliciousness has resulted in a drastic decimation of the tuna population, gigantic fish that can live up to 30 years, grow up to 10 feet long and weigh over a thousand pounds.

Bluefin were also the focus of a book that came out last year, Four Fish: The Future of the Last Wild Food, by Paul Greenberg. In it, he examines four of our most popular wild fish: salmon, tuna, cod, and bass, casting (ha ha) a critical eye on the effect that global harvesting and consumption has on their populations. His bottom line: we are driving these fish to extinction, and it's becoming more and more vital that we humans find an alternative to put on our plates.

Greenberg likens the rapidly depleting tuna populations to another creature that we almost drove to extinction: the whale. Whale hunting for meat and oil bypassed sustainable limits, and whale stocks were not replenished. It was not until 1986 that the International Whaling Commission banned commercial whaling so that populations could recover. Greenberg suggests that maybe this is what we need to do for the the tuna population: ban commercial fishing altogether and give the fish a chance to replenish. Could it work? Probably, but we (especially Americans, the Canadians, Japanese, and Europeans) have developed an insatiable appetite for sushi that is going to be hard to overcome.

Greenberg's book, and now this Ethicurian article, have struck a chord in my sushi-loving heart. Maybe I don't need to eat that cheapo sushi roll from the grocery store, and I'm sure I can find a more sustainable fish to eat at an upscale restaurant. I realize that I am only one person, and probably have very little power over how the fishing industry is going to deal with the loss of tuna populations, but as they say, every little bit helps. Besides, if everyone was just a little more thoughtful about what we put in our mouths, the differences we make could be quite astonishing.

If you're looking for further information on the subject, I would strongly recommend checking out ethicurian.com or picking up Four Fish...I guarantee it will make for some interesting and thought-provoking summer reading.

Comments

Anonymous said…
tuna...well in my case I'm no a great fan of this fish, well I had to eat it in many ocassions, but for my will I don't like to eat it, at least is prepared in xlpharmacy sushi bar, and with a lot of sake!!!
December 13, 2011 at 8:12 AM
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