Can Plant-Based Sashimi From Japan Save Bluefin Tuna?

Aquaculture and overfishing take a devastating toll on our earth’s ecosystem. Last January, the International Scientific Committee for Tuna and Tuna-Like Species in the North Pacific Ocean (ISC) released a stock assessment of bluefin tuna in the Pacific which indicated that overfishing had pushed the stock of bluefin down by a shocking 96.4 percent. About 90 percent of bluefin tuna caught in the Pacific are juveniles, according to the ISC’s report, which contributes greatly to the depletion of the species.

Bluefin tuna is most commonly used in high-end Japanese sushi and it fetches a high price at market. A Japanese company is taking on the popularity of bluefin by releasing their own plant-based version of the delicacy. Kotaku reports that the “faux sashimi is actually konnyaku which is a rubbery jelly made from a variety of potatoes. It’s actually very healthy and high in fiber.”

So, if you or a friend are so inclined to try a Japanese delicacy, perhaps choose this plant-based version instead. You won’t be contributing to overfishing and you can have just as wonderful of a dining experience.

 Image Source: Mannan Country