Tuna Shortage in Japan
Overfishing and a Taste for Sushi Depleting World Tuna Stocks
The appetite for sushi has soared to unimaginable heights and now, there are reports of a tuna shortage, which makes me wonder about the story of tuna.
According to news reports, we are running out of tuna – this all due to overfishing and the world's massive appetite for fish.
“It’s like America running out of steak,” said Tadashi Yamagata, vice chairman of Japan’s national union of sushi chefs. “Sushi without tuna just would not be sushi.”
Yikes. The world discovered sushi about 30 years ago but let's face it, no where will it be more acutely felt than in Japan where the people have as many words for tuna and it's different cuts as the Inuit in the North have for snow (I believe it's 22 words).
As a result of this shortage, the best raw tuna — three species of blue fin: northern, Pacific and southern — have ballooned in price.
Japan consumes about 60,000 tons a year of the three blue fin species, or more than 75% of the world’s annual catch, according to the Fisheries Agency. But other countries, such as the U.S. and Russia, are rapidly catching up to the Japanese.
If you're interested in this topic, you should check out Sasha Issenberg's latest book, The Sushi Economy.
World's Biggest Seafood Market in Japan
Sushi tuna originates from the world's biggest seafood market in Tokyo, Tsukiji, where top-grade blue fin can capture as much as $170,000! Any of you Vanity Fair readers can attest to Nick Tosches excellent article about this market in the June 2007 issue.
Apparently, up to 2,000 kilograms of superior seafood from Tsukiji is exported to sushi chefs around the world per day. Tsukiji – the size of 40 football fields - handles about 2 million kilograms of seafood daily.
The best blue fin tuna, growing up to 3.5 metres (12 feet) in length, changes from season to season. Sometimes, prized tuna can be found in the waters of the northern provinces of Oma and Hokkaido and other times, they are caught off the coast of New England.
How to Pick the Best Sushi Tuna
How do tuna buyers assess the latest catch? They slice off a tiny piece from the tail and hold it up to the light. The buyer is looking for the fish's inner colour, its oil content and if there any parasites. They want a smooth grain and marbling and if it's slippery, then it has a good amount of fat.
Every morning at Tsukiji, big tunas are unloaded, assessed and then given numbers (No. 1 being the top grade) according to its quality. Then bidders roam the hall with their flashlights to check out the meat. Then, the auction begins.
According to Tosches, sushi bidding can reach feverish heights. A wealthy businessman once paid $170,000 for a 200 kilogram tuna – considered outrageous by the buyers. He just had to have it, the perfect tuna. Eventually, he went bankrupt.
For the most part, the top tuna of the day can fetch up to $7,000 to $8,000. That slab of tuna can be parceled out into 10,000 individual ½ oz. pieces. Incredible.
Lastly, Tosches talks about what the difference between okay sushi and great sushi: the sweetness of the sushi doesn't challenge the taste of the fish and the fish is excellent.
By the way, top sushi joints serve their sushi piece by piece – as it is made by the chef. Talk to the chef, joke with him/her and have some sake in the meantime.
