The Sushi Industry Isn’t Sustainable, Yet It's Still Our Latest Food Addiction

Seafood as a cuisine is incredibly popular, but plays an essential role in one dish especially: sushi. Sushi is most frequently made with seafood like squid, eel, yellowtail, salmon, tuna or crab. It’s been around for hundreds of years, but its popularity has grown in America recently. With over 4,000 sushi restaurants reportedly grossing $2 billion annually, demand for sushi isn’t fading any time soon. Unfortunately, supply for one of its main components is.

If you’re a fin-fish lover, you've most likely noticed how the packaging of fish in grocery stores has changed in the last few years. Labels like “farm-raised,” “wild-caught” or “sustainably caught” can leave you wondering which is the best choice for your body and the environment. In some ways, the best choice is not to buy fish at all—or at least make it a small part of your diet.

In an article The Ubyssey, Emma Loy writes “the sushi and canned tuna industry combined have decimated global populations of bluefin tuna,” as well as leaving ahi tuna supply “dwindling.” Most popular fish are facing at least some sort of danger from overfishing and a greater demand than supply. In fact, 89% of the fish that fishermen target have an “overfished” status.

There are some choices you can make when it comes to buying your own fish:

• Avoid trawl-caught fish and choose line or trap-caught instead.

• Look for the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC), Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC), or Best Aquaculture Practices (BAP) labels on the fish you buy.

• UseMonterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch app, which sorts fish into categories, such as "Best Choices," "Good Alternatives" and "Avoid.”

• Do your best to limit the frequency of heavily fish-based meals like sushi.

• Avoid toro or bluefin tuna—it’s in extreme danger from overfishing. If a restaurant does have it on the menu, it’s valid to be wary of where it’s coming from.

When it comes to sushi restaurants themselves, customers in the US don’t have much of a choice. According to Bon Appetit, “Many American sushi restaurants use seafood imported from a single company: True World Foods. According to the New York Times, around 70%–80% of mid- and high-range sushi restaurants in some U.S. cities buy from True World.” In better news, the massive business has achieved MSC certification for some of its products, such as its albacore, sockeye salmon and Atlantic surf clam. But this doesn’t solve the greater issue of overfishing despite increasing demand.

While the numbers of endangered fish are concerning, some experts remain hopeful about ways that the sushi industry can adapt. As explained to Bon Appetit by several experts, expanding our diets to new fish could improve some of the issues, even if it’s not a long-term solution. One chef has even been experimenting with using more invasive fish species as an alternative. If sushi chefs are willing to shift toward more seasonal and non traditional sushi fillings, we may be able to save both fish and America’s newfound love for sushi.