Giant Robot Store and GR2 News

This is the reason why the world seems to be overfished. Why do anything put try and catch a giant bluefin tuna? The sale took place at Tsukiji fish market on January 5th. Obviously it was some type of publicity stunt that worked. “Tiny sushi slices of the prized fish can sell for up to $24, according to the Associated Press. Japanese consume up to 80% of the world’s declining tuna stock.” (Time – Bluefin)
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Pacific bluefin tuna migrating last year from coastal Japan to the waters off Southern California contained radioactive cesium isotopes from the Fukushima nuclear disaster, scientists reported Monday. This news sent the Twitterverse careening out of control for a time, but what are the facts? The amount of radioactivity in the fish was one-tenth the level the U.S. and Japan consider dangerous, and likely posed no public health hazard or risk to people who ate the seafood, the scientists said. But the study showed for the first time that migrating sea life rapidly brought traces of radioactive elements from the damaged Fukushima Daiichi nuclear reactors across vast distances. [Read more about tuna and radiation:  HuffPo ~ Bluefin Tuna Radiation: Is There A Health Risk? / The Wall Street Journal ~ U.S. Tuna Has Fukushima Taint    
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Bluefin tuna… overfished. Yes, it’s not new and along with the numerous fish that’s overfished without any signs of slowing down, this one is still just in it’s infancy stage. The reports have been around for years, but until the fish is truly endangered like certain whales will things really get done. Why is that? Does thousands of tons seem like a lot? The consuming of toro is important, expensive, but can and should be limited until there’s a larger recovery. A 24% chance of recovery in a decades time? That’s extremely low odds. As much as an outcry of shark fins being cut, this will one day be of equal importance. (Guardian UK – Bluefin)
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