Already happening profisher. The fish in question weighed barely over 600 pounds. Jump back a little better than a decade ago, that size would have been at the mid-range of weights seen in that same market. The real
Biggies ran better than double that size, with the odd Monster well above that. Those Giants no longer exist. 6-700 pounds is today's "
large" blue fin. They are in desperate straits. This is common knowledge amongst the fisheries scientists that study them world wide. Just a short time ago, their recommendation was to quarter the catch, or face exterminating this species. In the face of pressure from Japan, the cut to the catch was less than a third.
This decline can be directly attributed to the Japanese, their hunger for sushi, and their blatant disregard for anything even approaching conservation. A pattern they repeat with many species of ocean life. They consume greater than 80% of the blue fins caught world wide, and there is not the slightest hint that they are willing to slow that rate of consumption down. Prices will and are climbing. What will be the cost of the last one?
Given the Japanese' overbearing presence in most oceanic fisheries, methinks the world better wake up and devise a program to make them adhere to safe, conservation oriented fishing practices. Dam tough nut to crack alright. But unless we do so, they'll simply carry on to the point the only thing left out there will be jellyfish.
Sad! Disgusting actually...
Nog
