Why is the Price of Tuna Really Decreasing?

מוצש"ק פר' וירא תשע"ד

Northern Bluefin Tuna in real life
(Credit: Gavin Newman/Greenpeace, via Zuma Press)

Life In Israel: Price of Tuna Set to Decrease
October 16, 2013

Yes! Thank you Yair Lapid. Everything was worth it just for this!

We have watched the price of tuna fish consistently rise... I remember the good old days when 4 packs of tuna (Starkist and other brands) sold for about 16 NIS. In the past few months, the price for the same four-pack has been sitting at 26 NIS. Sometimes you can get some on sale for less, but that's the regular price.

Finance Minister Yair Lapid signed an order lowering import tariffs on canned tuna fish. Lapid signed the order and constructed the decrease so that the final price will be lower for the consumer.

The decrease in price will be staggered between 2013 through 2016.

The tax rate currently paid is 12% + 3.51 NIS per kg.
From November it will drop to 12% + 3 NIS per kg until the end of the year. .
For the entire 2014 it will decrease to 12% + 2 NIS per kg.
For the entire 2015 it will decrease to 12% + 1 NIS per kg.
Starting 2016 it will be taxed at just 12%.

So, with each can being 160grams or so (I dont know if they include the water or oil in the weight for taxes, or just the 112 grams of filtered tuna), I think the four-pack of tuna will drop in price, at the end of the 3 year process, by 2.25 NIS - if I did the math right.

Thank you Yair Lapid. Those are some amazing savings!

Esser Agaroth (2¢):
Um,...yeah. Hurray for Yair Lapid. 

Ya'ir Lapid
Yesh Atid (There is s future) Party Founder and Head

Now, let's check out the real reason is for proclaimed decrease in tax on tuna.

R-A-D-I-O-A-C-T-I-V-I-T-Y

Yum! Where are my
chopsticks?!

That's right. Thanks to the Fukushima Nuclear Reactor Disaster, which, by the way, is FAR from being over, and could still blow another reactor, the radioactive levels in tuna have been going up worldwide.

That's right, worldwide, not just in the California/Mexico fishing waters. The Pacific Ocean currents from Japan northward, turn east following Alaska, then down the North American coast (See "Coreolis Effect"). Still pretty frightening, though, when you take a look at just how much those levels have gone up in these waters alone, how many thousands of miles away from Japan?

Tuna: Now with Mercury
AND Radiation!

The four major industries behind my hometown of San Diego's economy include the military, tourism, algae (for ice cream, margarine, shampoo, etc.), and tuna. So, so you can say goodbye to San Diego.

In conclusion, Esser Agaroth (2¢): is unable to get excited about the impending decrease in the cost of tuna in Israel as Life In Israel is.

I prefer my fish to be radioactivity-free, not to mention free of all of the other toxins this large fish picks up during its relatively long lifetime.