Because of the over-fishing of one of our most amazing and tasty fish, bluefin tuna stocks have fallen to dangerously low levels. Its natural habitats, the North Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea, are being ruthlessly and, sometimes, illegally, exploited as the fish is served up in sushi and sashimi dishes throughout the world.
As a result, this species is in serious risk of extinction. If we do not turn this trend around, this gift of nature will not only eventually disappear from our dishes but, even worse, it may be dragged out of our seas and oceans forever.
I urge all cooks (especially those in Asia) to look for alternative ingredients for their dishes, perhaps sushi and sashimi with tasty red meat peppers instead of Mediterranean tuna. This will enable us to save this threatened species.
The opinions expressed in this letter to the editor are the writer's own and do not necessarily reflect the policies of The Japan Times.