From Today's New York Times

To the Editor:

Both your Jan. 23 front-page article and your editorial (“Tuna Troubles,” Jan. 24) regarding the dangers of eating bluefin tuna because of high levels of mercury did not mention (as The Times has done on previous occasions) another, equally compelling reason to avoid consuming the meat of this fish: the bluefin tuna has been so overexploited that the species is on the brink of extinction.

Since the introduction of longline fishing in the 1960’s, the Atlantic bluefin population has fallen by 97 percent, and the international bodies responsible for protecting this fishery have, because of its huge profitability, failed to impose catch limits that ensure its survival.

For reasons of both health and environmental responsibility, bluefin tuna should be avoided, whether in sushi or any other form.

Gil Kulick
New York, Jan. 24, 2008