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Did you make the decision to stop eating sushi in an effort to make your diet more sustainable and humane? Do you still sometimes miss the flavors of your favorite rolls? Well, you’re in luck … an awesome alternative is on its way!
With little over three weeks left to go, a Kickstarter campaign to fund the creation of a new, sustainable vegan tuna has exceeded its goal, to the excitement of former sushi lovers everywhere.
Traditional sushi is most popularly made with bluefin tuna. This single fish is used to create all of the creative and inventive rolls that many sushi goers enjoy. That popularity comes at a price, however. Due to high demand for this fish, bluefin tuna have been overfished so severely that they’re on the verge of extinction. In fact, a recent assessment indicates that bluefin tuna stocks are down a staggering 96.4 percent.
When chef James Corwell – one of only 60 chefs worldwide with the Master Chef certification – watched two football field sized warehouses full of tuna sell out in a single morning at the Tsukiji Fish Market in Tokyo, Japan, he realized that a more sustainable option needed to be developed.
And develop an option he did, using the humble and highly sustainable tomato. Due to their chemical composition, tomatoes produce much of the same flavor compounds that give tuna their mild, yet savory flavor. Plus, tomatoes are high in lycopene – a compound known to have protective effects against many chronic diseases – and plenty of antioxidants.
They’re also gluten-free, and free of the food safety risks associated with eating raw fish. This makes a tomato-based alternative not only suitable for plant-based eaters, but also for those with gluten sensitivities and compromised immune systems. Triple yummy win!
While there’s no lack of incredible, plant-based sushi options out there right now, for those who like the traditional dish-sans-fish, this new addition gives vegans and vegetarians alike an even wider selection. There’s no such thing as too many delicious, vegan options, right? Right.
In-text image source: kickstarter.com
Being the sashimi enthusiast, ocean lover, and sustainable believer that I am, I am often in battle with myself on how to handle eating or not eating Bluefin Tuna, as I am sure many do. I don’t want to have to choose. Therefore we have put together an amazing team of experts to find the perfect solution. We are going to put all our efforts in finding the right solutions to raise Bluefin Tuna in a sustainable manner from egg to market. Not only will this allow wild Bluefin tuna to be able to exist in our oceans, the fish we raise will be even healthier due to the quality of the water and food they will be raised in. Sustainable offshore aquaculture is the way to feed the people, not by destroying all life and the ecosystem in the ocean. In addition, we are working on algae based fish feed, which too protects the other fish species in our oceans often used as fishmeal.
Initial experimental procedures are very expensive so we have decided to try to get all those involved and who care about the ocean and the quality of the fish they consume to get involved. We have just launched a campaign for funding, https://goo.gl/uTWr82 Any amount you are able to contribute is greatly appreciated. It is also greatly appreciated if you can use your contacts and social media outlets to get others involved.
Thank you! And we hope to be able to be providing you with the most sustainable, best tasting Bluefin Tuna in the near future, all while protecting our oceans.
Help us save the Bluefin Tuna, one fish at a time