Eight pacific nations have just banned the fishing of Bigeye and Yellowfin tuna from their territorial waters, in what is one of the largest statements to protect the two species from destruction. The tuna fishing ban is being undertaken by all Parties to the Nauru Agreement (PNA), including the Federated States of Micronesia, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Nauru, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands and Tuvalu. These nations have now banned fishing in specific areas adjacent to their exclusive economic zones. With a $3 billion pacific fishing industry at stake, they have realized that a temporary ban, to allow stocks to recover, is the only way to save these fish. I can hear the price of tuna sashimi is going up already…
Contrary to what many people believe, not all tuna sashimi is Bluefin tuna. Japan is a major importer of Bigeye and Yellowfin tuna and in fact the wholesale price of Bigeye tuna is up 20% in the past three years, and the price of Yellowfin is up 30%, with no end in sight. This recent ban could easily cause prices to rise at an accelerated rate. Approximately 50% of the global tuna catch is from the Pacific Ocean and a majority of that is from the areas around the PNA. High fuel costs are also impacting the fishing industry, and it has gotten so bad it is now estimated that almost 30% of the long line fishing boats may suspend operations due to the prohibitive costs of remaining in operation. The only way to offset these rising costs is to raise the price of fish, which may end up being the saving grace for these fisheries. As prices increase, more sustainable types of fishing are better able to compete, which is a necessity if tuna stocks are to avoid collapse. Since modern fishing techniques were introduced in the 1950’s, the estimated global yellowfin tuna catch has increased from approximately 110,879 tonnes in 1950 to a peak of 1,436,602 tonnes in 2003. In 2006, that number had receded to 1,129,415 tonnes and has somewhat stabilized there for the time being. Without some serious conservation efforts, that number will continue to go down due to reduces numbers of fish in the ocean. And tuna are not the only fish in danger of over fishing. Ultimately, there is not simple solution to preserving these piscine communities, but with the push for sustainable fishing, acceptance that prices must go up, and the actions of people who avoid destructive fishing practices, we can ensure our supply of sushi and sashimi ingredients in the future.
I almost feel as though I’m turning Sushi Otaku into an activist channel for the protection of endangered pelagic species. While I do not intend that to be the case, I do feel that it is important to raise this issue as it is important for anyone interested in seafood (and sushi/sashimi in particular) to be aware of these facts. I would be unhappy if my sushi dinners became a prohibitively expensive treat. Or a non-existent one. We need a greater impetus to ensure the survival of our aquatic fare, and the best way to achieve this is to be aware of what you eat, where it came from, and act accordingly. And it never hurts to ask questions.
Meshiagare!
I have always been fascinated by the creation and culture of different foods, particularly sushi and sashimi in the modern era of Japanese cuisine. I am a classically trained chef and sushi connoisseur, also having operated a food service company and enjoy investigating and experimenting with food around the world.
Hmm, I think guilt as much as price may temper my consumption for a while of my favorite dish – Hamachi Sashimi . I already have a hard time enjoying salmon as much as I did before I paid more attention to the sources.
Actually you are fortunately safe with Hamachi as those fish are actually farmed and not at risk. No one has yet been able to successfully farm bluefin and yellowfin tuna on a large scale, however, so for now, they are off my list as well.
Cheers,
Warren
Sushi Otaku
When it comes to Tuna issue, we can not deny that the price is much determined by the biggest market in the world, that is Japan.
I heard once from someone, that Japan is the only country on earth that strategically stock pile frozen sashimi grade Tuna for 6 months time frame.
Rotation by FIFO , meaning the oldest will be sold to the market while the latest shipment were sent to the stock pile. So they will always get the best tuna on the stock pile and avoiding the shelf life problem.
Meaning if the whole world stop sending Tuna to Japan, they will be using the stock pile for that time frame until they found ways to get the tuna again.
I dont know how true this is, but I can imagine that if such possible and if I were Japan ,probably I would do that. I can control prices too and intervene if needed to lower the price by dumping the stock pile too.
When it comes to price, I still think that consumer like us should try at least consume other Tuna species which are less sought after, such as albacore, southern longtail tuna , dogtooh Tuna or different species altogether. Just might be that, less pressure will make the price to be at least ” less expensive”.
When it comes to Tuna issue, we can not deny that the price is much determined by the biggest market in the world, that is Japan.
Tuna has been known to carry certain amounts or mercury so it would not hurt to cut consumption for a while and substitute a different species.
True. While it is always wise to avoid mercury containing foods, there is still a lot of debate about the mercury levels of pelagic species. An interesting article about the source, and the effects of pollution can be found here:
http://tinyurl.com/ycg9
As with anything, I’d take anything like this with a grain of salt as there have been many more studies done since this article was written. But regardless of the source, mercury is definitely something that you want to limit your intake.