If your tuna tastes like plastic - there’s good reason

You probably know that Health Canada recommends we limit the number of servings per week of tuna and other predatory fish because of mercury levels.

If you didn’t, now you do.

And surely you already know that tuna stocks are in rapid decline because humans have the nasty habit of catching and eating fish in unsustainable amounts, gaining more weight than the average grizzly bear before winter hibernation and buying stretchy pants rather than exercising or cutting back.

But what you might not know is that there is now a third reason to limit the amount of tuna you buy at Wal Mart next time it goes on sale.


["What's this? I'll eat it": tuna photo link]

Tuna may now contain plastic.

“New research suggests small fish that live within the Great Pacific Garbage Patch - a blob of degraded plastic estimated to be larger than the area of Saskatchewan, floating in the middle of the ocean - are actually feeding on the tiny pieces of plastic. (Plastic absorbs toxins like PCB and DDT).

“While there’s concern for the future of these little fish, the concern also extends to humans, because these tiny swimmers are being eaten by commercial fish such as tuna, which are being eaten by us.” (Apr. 1, London Free Press)

Stink. Just when you thought it was safe to go back into the water!

My recommendation: Reduce the amount of tuna in a meat-rich diet (and if you normally live in North America, your diet is likely rich in meat) by eating more sustainable food products that contain less plastic.

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What would you eat instead of tuna, e.g., once or twice per week?

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