Ocean About To Run Out Of Bluefin Tuna, Life Not Worth Living Any More

So yeah. That's a thing now. BRB, weeping profusely and lamenting the downfall of everything worthwhile in the universe.

The AP got their hands on a draft summary of a report from International Scientific Committee for Tuna and Tuna-like Species in the North Pacific Ocean, and it ... well, it's very, very bad. Specifically, the current population of Pacific Bluefin Tuna is at 2.6% of its unfished levels. That's not a typo and you're not reading it wrong; over 97% of all Pacific Bluefin Tuna have been fished right the fuck out of existence. Populations of Atlantic and Southern Bluefin have also fallen, but it's the Pacific population that's been absolutely wrecked.

We also find it incumbent upon us at this point to remind you that in the last 45 years, half the fish in the ocean have just goddamned disappeared completely (it must be noted that the personal efforts of at least one writer for yr Wonkette have certainly not been helping). Humanity as a whole is doing really, really badly when it comes to sustainability. Scientists believe a healthy, sustainable population number would be 20% of unfished levels, and with the way things are going, they estimate the chances of getting to that number to be around 0.1%.

And lest you think this is just the US screwing up (again): nope. 80% of all Pacific Bluefin is consumed in Japan, where it's the pre-eminent sushi fish. It's cool, though; I'm sure if we explain to them that they're ruining the Pacific Bluefin population or institute a complete fishing ban (as some are calling for), they'll totally agree to just stop fishing it. They have such a great track record on similar issues, after all.

We're kidding when we say a life without sushi is a life not worth living, by the way. Well. Kind of.

[ AP via Time ]