Image via WikipediaCanned Tuna is the biggest selling seafood item in Australia. At a guess, it must be the biggest selling seafood item in the world - maybe not for much longer. Our hunger for tinned Tuna, and for Tuna sushi and sashimi, has led to many species of Tuna being critically over fished.
According to the International Seafood Sustainability Foundation, Indian Ocean Yellowfin, Pacific Ocean Bigeye, and Albacore Tuna are all overfished. Northern Bluefin Tuna, the most sought after tuna for sashimi and sushi, is one of the most endangered fish species on the planet.
Bluefin Tuna don't reproduce until a later age, and are often killed for our food before they've had a chance to reproduce. It's completely unthinkable, but Atlantic Bluefin Tuna could be extinct in LESS THAN two years! Stocks are currently estimated to be at 3% of their 1960's level - a decline of 97%. Yet the worldwide fishing quota for Bluefin is three times what scientists recommend for recovery of the species.
Bluefin Tuna are an amazingly strong, fast and beautiful fish. If you haven't seen a Bluefin Tuna before, you will be amazed at their size. They can reach more than 13 feet in length (twice as tall as the tallest guy you know) and swim faster than 60km/h. But unfortunately, they don't stand a chance against modern purse seine net fishing practices. The Bluefin are actually hunted by small aircraft that spot the Tuna shoals and call in their coordinates to the fishing boats. The boats circle the Tuna shoal with massive purse seine nets that can hold up to 10 jumbo jets. All they have to do then is tighten the net. It's not even a sport anymore, it's just another company making massive amounts of money while the poor fisherman are ruining their own lively-hood.
According to the International Seafood Sustainability Foundation, Indian Ocean Yellowfin, Pacific Ocean Bigeye, and Albacore Tuna are all overfished. Northern Bluefin Tuna, the most sought after tuna for sashimi and sushi, is one of the most endangered fish species on the planet.
Bluefin Tuna don't reproduce until a later age, and are often killed for our food before they've had a chance to reproduce. It's completely unthinkable, but Atlantic Bluefin Tuna could be extinct in LESS THAN two years! Stocks are currently estimated to be at 3% of their 1960's level - a decline of 97%. Yet the worldwide fishing quota for Bluefin is three times what scientists recommend for recovery of the species.
Bluefin Tuna are an amazingly strong, fast and beautiful fish. If you haven't seen a Bluefin Tuna before, you will be amazed at their size. They can reach more than 13 feet in length (twice as tall as the tallest guy you know) and swim faster than 60km/h. But unfortunately, they don't stand a chance against modern purse seine net fishing practices. The Bluefin are actually hunted by small aircraft that spot the Tuna shoals and call in their coordinates to the fishing boats. The boats circle the Tuna shoal with massive purse seine nets that can hold up to 10 jumbo jets. All they have to do then is tighten the net. It's not even a sport anymore, it's just another company making massive amounts of money while the poor fisherman are ruining their own lively-hood.
And you still want to eat Tuna?!!
Well in that case... Greenpeace Australia have just released their updated tinned Tuna guide.
If you must eat tinned Tuna, please only eat one of these listed above. If you're going to eat Tuna sushi or sashimi, ask what type of Tuna it is. As always, the power is with us, the consumers. If you demand sustainably fished species of fish, they will have to supply sustainably fished species of fish! Supply & Demand.
And if you're not going to listen to me, listen to your friend Vincent Chase...
And if you're not going to listen to me, listen to your friend Vincent Chase...
I saw a clip with Sea Shepherd guru Captain Paul Watson today and he said some pretty epic things... like "we don't treat our land animals like our fish. A cheetah for example, a Bluefin is the same as a cheetah. It's the fastest fish in the ocean, a warm blooded incredible creature and we're wiping them out.. we would never tolerate that with any land animal..."
ReplyDeletecheck it out here:
http://www.globalanimal.org/2010/08/24/captain-paul-watson-if-we-kill-our-oceans-we-kill-ourselves-2/12394/