Bluefin Removed From Sinju's Menu

by Clare Leschin-Hoar, Posted Sep 29th 2010 @ 4:00PM

Sinju sushi restaurant in Portland OR Photo: Patrick Haney, Flickr

Thanks in part to our breaking story last month, Sinju Restaurant in Portland, Ore., has removed bluefin tuna from the menu at all three Sinju locations.

According to a story in The Oregonian, the sushi restaurant made the change after being pressured by customers and environmental groups when Guido Rahr, president of the Wild Salmon Center went public about being banned from the restaurant after speaking to Sinju's management about the fish's appearance on the menu.

"I felt it was important for Sinju to know that this is not just another declining species, but perhaps the most high profile endangered fish species on the earth," Rahr wrote in a letter to Sinju in August.

Jae en Woo, who spoke to The Oregonian on behalf of her father who owns the restaurant said, "We should have been more up to date on this issue of sustainability and how it lives in the minds of Portlanders. I know this sounds really irresponsible, and I know aquariums often have literature about what's sustainable and what's not, but you're living the bubble of running your own business you're largely unaffected by these issues until a situation like this comes up."

Environmental groups like the Monterey Bay Aquarium's Seafood Watch program say the end result is very encouraging.

"We think it's great that one of our card-carrying customers was the person that brought it to the attention of the restaurant. Guido Rahr took the time to start the conversation and changes were made. That's an important message. Others who share these concerns can take heart in seeing something can be done. Speaking up can be the key in making significant change," says Shelia Bowman, outreach manager for Seafood Watch.

Filed Under: News
Tags: bluefin tuna, Guido Rahr, monterey bay aquarium, portland, seafood, Seafood Watch, Sinju, sushi