The movement
The movement for sustainable sushi has been emerging over time and is the most recent years has started to become a rising topic with the concern of over fishing in the oceans. The over fishing of the oceans has been a growing concern all around the world because not too many regulations have been put into place to prevent fisherman from over stepping boundaries. One regulation that has been into place is the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act which changed changed the jurisdiction of fishing to 200 miles from the shore . This has not helped with over fishing instead it has just pushed fisherman further into the ocean where they are unseen by many and they lay out their nets not being conscious of the species of fish they may be catching by accident. Many species of fish are being endangered because fisherman are careless of the way they choose to fish and catch unwanted fish in their nets or hook them because they set out too many hooks.
Since fisherman do not regulations which limit the amount of nets they can set out when fishing, they set out as many as they can to increase their amount of fish they catch at one time. One species in particular which they are over fishing is the bluefin tuna. This fish is highly migratory is being monitored by the Seafood for the Future program (The SFF is a program created by the Aquarium of the Pacific to bring awareness to sustainability, http://www.aquariumofpacific.org/seafoodfuture) and they are giving their suggestions on which fish would be great substitutes for the bluefin tuna. Fisherman do not follow these advisories because many sushi restaurants push for bluefin tuna because it is the highest in demand. By fishing for bluefin tuna at all times of the year it does not give the fish enough time to replinish before it is being fished for again.
Since fisherman do not regulations which limit the amount of nets they can set out when fishing, they set out as many as they can to increase their amount of fish they catch at one time. One species in particular which they are over fishing is the bluefin tuna. This fish is highly migratory is being monitored by the Seafood for the Future program (The SFF is a program created by the Aquarium of the Pacific to bring awareness to sustainability, http://www.aquariumofpacific.org/seafoodfuture) and they are giving their suggestions on which fish would be great substitutes for the bluefin tuna. Fisherman do not follow these advisories because many sushi restaurants push for bluefin tuna because it is the highest in demand. By fishing for bluefin tuna at all times of the year it does not give the fish enough time to replinish before it is being fished for again.
(Video on catching bluefin tuna and the affects it has on the species. Only the trailer. Full documentary can be found at http://www.sushitheglobalcatch.com/)
*This is solely for a UCLA oceanography class. We do not own any of the content in the video. This video is not being used for profit or promotion.
*This is solely for a UCLA oceanography class. We do not own any of the content in the video. This video is not being used for profit or promotion.
The movement for sustainable sushi is being directed not only to restaurateurs but to consumers as well. For restaurateurs the movement bringing the rise of restaurants that advertise the sole use of fish that is sustainable. The use of sustainable fish is by choosing fish wisely on where and how they are fished. One way would be to buy fish that is raised in a fish farms and to buy fish which are in season (meaning highly available). It is not an easy transition but it is slowly rising in the world. Many restaurants are not making the change because they want to serve high quality fish and do not want to serve anything less than that in fear of losing their costumers and their reputation. Fish from fish farms also do not always have the rich color that wild caught fish has which is one of the reasons it is not favored by some restaurants.
Sustainable sushi has also created a movement among consumers because many programs are encouraging consumers to be conscious of the places they choose to eat. Many documentaries have been released to educate consumers on the growing concerns of over fishing in the oceans. They urge consumers to research where their fish is coming from and also scare them a bit by showing them the cold facts of what will happen if fishing continues along the same path. Consumers are finally getting a look into how big of an effect over fishing has and how it will dry out the ocean many fish in the years to come.
Sustainable sushi has also created a movement among consumers because many programs are encouraging consumers to be conscious of the places they choose to eat. Many documentaries have been released to educate consumers on the growing concerns of over fishing in the oceans. They urge consumers to research where their fish is coming from and also scare them a bit by showing them the cold facts of what will happen if fishing continues along the same path. Consumers are finally getting a look into how big of an effect over fishing has and how it will dry out the ocean many fish in the years to come.
*UCLA EPS 15 ocean/climate science communication project for Prof. Tripati in Fall 2014.
*Copyright Disclaimer: Pursuant to Section 107 of the Copyright Act of 1976, allowance is made for 'fair use' for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing. Non-profit, educational or personal use tips the balance in favor of fair use.
*Copyright Disclaimer: Pursuant to Section 107 of the Copyright Act of 1976, allowance is made for 'fair use' for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing. Non-profit, educational or personal use tips the balance in favor of fair use.