New record set for the price on a single bluefin tuna

[MakiSupaStar]

This concerns me.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/0..._n_804553.html

[elgecko]

Mmmm, pass the wasabi!

[Selta]

Eek!
I'm also concerned.

[MakiSupaStar]

Originally Posted by Ray Salamon

Eek!
I'm also concerned.

Yeah it's a trend that is a direct correlation to the decreasing numbers in the bluefin tuna population. It's market price is getting higher and higher, which subsequently makes a boatload of bluefin worth more and more which snowballs into more motivation for decimating them off the planet. Not good.

[elgecko]

$525/lb...I thought Chilean Sea Bass was expensive!

[EricF]

My head is in some debate on this one. On one side is my love for the delicate deliciousness of good bluefin toro. On the other side is the stupidity of humans eating a species to extinction.

[Tony G]

I read the article, saw this part at the bottom, and wondering if those here with more knowledge of Japan can comfirm or deny this type of activity?

UPDATE, 1/5/11, 11:55am EST:

Trevor Corson, author of The Secret Life of Lobsters, The Story of Sushi, and the only Sushi Concierge in the United States, writes on why the record pricetag should be considered relatively meaningless:

The only reason any bidder at the Tokyo auction ever pays that much for a fish is to deliberately spend way more than any sane person should. Blowing that much on a tuna is either a celebration of recent profits, or a bid for publicity to boost a restaurant or distributor's profile. In short, it's money spent on advertising, not on fish.

[MakiSupaStar]

Originally Posted by EricF

My head is in some debate on this one. On one side is my love for the delicate deliciousness of good bluefin toro. On the other side is the stupidity of humans eating a species to extinction.

Yeah I also love toro. Especially bluefin, but if we don't change the way we fish, we're going to see it disappear for good. It's numbers are alarmingly low, and any kind of common sense move to set a limit, or create a 'no fishing zone' so the population can rebound has been blocked or countries like Japan, China, and Russia have flat out refused to recognize the idea. There are politics involved, and a whole lot of cultural bias, tradition, indignation, and plain old stubborn denial getting in the way of what amounts to common sense. I hope common sense wins out, otherwise we're going to see it disappear. It's not just bluefin in danger, but it's other kinds of tuna and fish too. Indirectly, this could lead to mass famine and food shortage within the next 30 years.

[Selta]

Originally Posted by Tony G

I read the article, saw this part at the bottom, and wondering if those here with more knowledge of Japan can comfirm or deny this type of activity?

Even still, bluefin tuna (and others) are exceedingly approaching endangered status.

[Ziltoid]

I better taste some before they're instinct!

[Mike Dimin]

Recently saw a documentary about Tuna. Main concern was the fishing, to extinction, of the Blue Fin. I do not doubt the story at all

[EricF]

Originally Posted by MakiSupaStar

Yeah I also love toro. Especially bluefin, but if we don't change the way we fish, we're going to see it disappear for good. It's numbers are alarmingly low, and any kind of common sense move to set a limit, or create a 'no fishing zone' so the population can rebound has been blocked or countries like Japan, China, and Russia have flat out refused to recognize the idea. There are politics involved, and a whole lot of cultural bias, tradition, indignation, and plain old stubborn denial getting in the way of what amounts to common sense. I hope common sense wins out, otherwise we're going to see it disappear. It's not just bluefin in danger, but it's other kinds of tuna and fish too. Indirectly, this could lead to mass famine and food shortage within the next 30 years.

I agree completely. However, common sense seems to be on a similar path to extinction.

[Tony G]

Originally Posted by Ray Salamon

Even still, bluefin tuna (and others) are exceedingly approaching endangered status.

Oh, I totally understand that. I was more just wondering about the "spending big money on tuna to advertise the restaurant" bit.

[EricF]

Suddenly, I'm very hungry. I think I'll have some chicken.

[Dr. Cheese]

A couple of things are going on here:

1. Japanese and much Asian cuisine traditionally is heavy on seafood.

2. These societies, except for Japan, are newly rich, and itching to live it up.

3. They are all sick of being told what to do by the West.

These factors make the environmental concerns very hard to get across.

[PSPookie]

Originally Posted by EricF

Suddenly, I'm very hungry. I think I'll have some chicken of the sea.

Fixed

[EricF]

Originally Posted by PSPookie

Fixed

Ha!

[MakiSupaStar]

Originally Posted by PSPookie

Fixed

Oddly enough, canned tuna in Japan is referred to as 'sea chicken.' It's actually very tasty. Much better, IMO, that the equivalent canned tuna over here. When we go to Japan we often bring a lot of it back. It's that good. Now, I'm wondering if there's a reason behind this name?

[onosson]

Time for people to start getting into Korean kimbap ... just like (maki) sushi, but usually made with ingredients other than seafood.

[MJ5150]

I'm doing my part to help. I do not eat anything that comes out of the water.

-Mike