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More Blues for the Bluefin
[The following is from an e-mail distributed by Carl Safina’s Blue Ocean Institute. Seems to me this is a message we really need to publicize for the JAPANESE . . . one-fourth of the samples taken by the Times from NY City sushi restaurants were above the US EPA action level for removing products from the market — ie. one part per million . . . ]
The New York Times reported yesterday that most Bluefin tuna sold in a survey of New York City restaurants and stores contained hazardous amounts of mercury. That report, coupled with the Bluefin’s threatened global extinction due to overfishing, provides good reason to try alternatives to Bluefin when buying sushi. All fish collect mercury from their food and it becomes concentrated in their bodies. Bluefin tuna are voracious eaters. They are one of the ocean’s largest, fastest, and most active fish and they have appetites to match. Only people, some sharks, and killer whales are greater ocean predators. As a result, Bluefin tend to have much higher levels of mercury than other species that are lower on the food chain. Bluefin populations around the world are endangered or severely depleted due to overfishing. The population off the eastern United States has collapsed to less than 10% of pre-fishing levels. And illegal fishing for Bluefin is rampant in Europe.Chefs, restaurateurs, and retailers across the world are saying no to Bluefin tuna to protect consumer health and conserve marine life. Blue Ocean Institute is working hard to protect Bluefin in U.S. waters and abroad. Look for our upcoming review of Bluefin tuna management in the journal Conservation Biology. For the health of our bodies and the continued health of Bluefin populations, try yellowfin tuna as an alternative (pole- and troll-caught is the most ocean-friendly).
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