Legendary Sushi Chef Jiro Warns Against Overfishing

Jiro Ono, the world-renowned sushi chef and star of the documentary Jiro Dreams of Sushi, recently spoke at the Foreign Correspondents Club of Japan about the enormous dangers behind overfishing, reports The New York Daily News.

Despite rave reviews from diners like President Obama and Joël Robuchon, Jiro himself is not immune to the consequences of unsustainable seafood practices.

In particular, Jiro referenced the short supply of high quality domestic tuna, which has forced the industry to turn increasingly to farmed fish in order to accommodate a "global sushi boom."

Jiro and his younger son Yoshikazu also warmed against a similarly shrinking supply of shellfish like abalone and ark shell, which need more than five years to mature. "They catch them all together (before some are ready), pushing the stock to deplete," he told the Foreign Correspondents Club.

"I can't imagine at all that sushi in the future will be made of the same materials we use today," said Jiro. "I told my young men three years ago sushi materials will totally change in five years. And now, such a trend is becoming a reality little by little."

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Karen Lo is an associate editor at The Daily Meal. Follow her on Twitter @appleplexy.