Sushi Samba Tosses Bluefin Back

It's no secret that bluefin tuna is endangered. Since 1970, stocks of bluefin have dropped by more than 80 percent, thanks in no small part to its status as a prized sushi fish. In fact, scientists predict that if the rate of consumption of the fish stays the same, it...

By John Linn

April 2, 2010

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It's no secret that bluefin tuna is endangered. Since 1970, stocks of bluefin have dropped by more than 80 percent, thanks in no small part to its status as a prized sushi fish. In fact, scientists predict that if the rate of consumption of the fish stays the same, it will face extinction within ten years.

Still, a request in front of the U.N. to ban international trade on bluefin was denied in March, as reported by the New York Times. The proposal was defeated by a margin of over 3:1.

Though the ban was denied, some restaurants are taking it on themselves to remove bluefin from their kitchens. One of them is Sushi Samba, a national sushi chain with locations in Miami and Las Vegas. The restaurant will no longer serve the fish and is supporting preservation efforts as well.

Other restaurants are sure to follow suit. If any restaurants in South Florida would like their customers to know they're no longer selling bluefin, please leave us a comment.

To support the bluefin effort, you can check out this online petition as well as endoftheline.com and savethebluefin.com.

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