If you consult the Monterey Bay Aquarium “experts”, they would tell you that the giant bluefin tuna are critically endangered, and we should avoid eating them. However, if you refer to the NOAA Fish Facts website, it asserts that
eating bluefin tuna is a sustainable “smart choice.” In 2017, scientists confirmed the discovery of a third breeding ground for the Western Atlantic giant bluefin tuna in the Slope Sea, off the northeast U.S. coast. The breeding population of giant bluefin tuna has been underestimated by scientists by as much as 50%. Tuna fishermen in the Gulf reported sightings as recently as two weeks ago.
Bluefins are generally only present in the Gulf of Mexico during the winter months. They have been catching them all year off Cape Hatteras, North Carolina. Last week, Marlin fishermen off Ocean City, Maryland, found them to be inescapable. As usual for this time of year, they are currently catching a large number of them off Massachusetts, Maine, and the Canadian Maritime provinces. By all accounts, the Western Atlantic bluefin population is fully recovered!
The bottom line is that you should promote this remarkable fish as a sustainably caught, fishery management success story! Not only is this fish a sustainable choice, but a delicious option that deserves to be enjoyed by all. It’s time to sell it!
7/24/23
