It’s no secret that many of the animal populations have suffered as the human population has exploded throughout the globe, and many species of fish have had it worse than others. To monitor the unfortunate damage that has been done, the World Wild Fund for Nature publishes a Living Planet Report every two years. Last year, as a follow up to 2014’s report, they released a special edition to further examine a number of important fish populations, the decline of which has unfortunate implications for sushi lovers.

According to this new report, there are seventeen species of tuna and mackerel that have declined by about 74% over the past forty-five years. Mackerel doesn’t always get the same attention as the popular tuna fish, but, as an important source of food for the larger fish, a loss of mackerel populations can only make problems worse for wild tuna.

Responsible fishing practices and protection of our precious oceans is going to be very important if we are to continue to enjoy quality tuna at our Japanese restaurant in Seattle. Consider how you can do your part to better assure healthy fish populations for future generations.