Monday, October 8, 2007Pregnant Women Should Eat FishEA group of experts in maternal nutrition and obstetrics announced last week a new recommendation that pregnant women should eat at least 12 ounces of seafood per week, a sharp turn from previous Food and Drug Administration recommendations. The recommendations come as the latest volley in a long-running debate over the safety of seafood for pregnant women. Most of the concerns have centered on whether methyl mercury, a trace element that can accumulate in certain fish, can accumulate to levels that are dangerous to developing fetuses. The Maternal Nutrition Group, comprising 14 nutritionists, physicians and dietitians from academic centers around the country, made the announcement together with the nonprofit group National Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies Coalition. In the statement, the group recommended that pregnant, breast-feeding and postpartum women consume a minimum of 12 ounces of seafood a week as part of an overall healthy diet -- as long as only 6 of the ounces of seafood per week come from albacore tuna because of its mercury content. The recommendations stated that ocean fish, including salmon, tuna, sardines, and mackerel, were an important source of omega-3 essential fatty acids, such as docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and eicosapentaenoic acid. In its statement, the group stated that such fatty acids were essential during rapid fetal growth and development. DHA, in particular, is known to accumulate in fetal brains largely during the late prenatal and early postnatal periods. Have your fish ... and eat it tooIn 2001, the FDA co-issued an advisory with the Environmental Protection Agency recommending against the consumption by pregnant women of certain types of fish -- particularly shark, swordfish, king mackerel and tilefish. It recognized that seafood could still be an important part of an overall diet but recommended no more than 12 ounces per week. The FDA revisited the issue in 2004, and stood by its recommendations. Rather than examining whether seafood as a whole is safe or unsafe for pregnant mothers and their developing fetuses, the question should really be on which types of seafood provide beneficial effects such as omega-3 fatty acids without being reservoirs of the potentially dangerous methyl mercury. "Apart from the politics, this is a nonissue," said Ellen Silbergeld, professor in Environmental Health Sciences at the Johns Hopkins School of Public Health. "It is widely known that one can have one's cake and eat it too. All it takes is to choose wisely among the fish that one consumes." Meanwhile, clinicians and patients are beginning to understand that one way to clear up the confusion may lie in educating themselves. "People are not always cognizant of which fish are beneficial and which are not," said Dr. Ashlesha Dayal, assistant professor in maternal and fetal medicine at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine. Multiple Web sites now have easy-to-carry cards that list "good fish" and "bad fish" with regards to omega-3 fatty acid benefits and mercury risks. For a list of such Web sites, see the links below: Oceans Alive http://www.oceansalive.org/eat.cfm?subnav=bestandworst&link=hp Co-op America http://www.coopamerica.org/programs/livinggreen/safeseafood.cfm Purdue University http://fn.cfs.purdue.edu/fish4health/Walletcard/walletcard.htm National Resources Defense Council http://www.nrdc.org/health/effects/mercury/walletcard.pdf - ABC News Asia Behind in Eco-Label MovementSeafood-eaters in Europe and the U.S. can choose from a number of eco-labels, the most respected of which is the Marine Stewardship Council mark. This guarantees that fish have come from sustainable and well-managed fisheries. In ten years the label has grown to cover 300 fish products in 25 countries around the world. But its presence in Asia is limited. Ironically, one of the problems for the MSC is that its standards are high and not all fisheries can meet them.
There is at least one example from Japan of a small fishery serving a domestic market that wants the MSC label as recognition of its achievements. This, however, may be something of a special case. The issue of how to promote western eco-labels in Asia remains to be tackled and will need some serious consideration. Compiled by Elaine Riot Inspection of Chinese Imports Key The U.S. should inspect more food imported from China because of weak regulation in that country and the willingness of smugglers to violate quality standards, according to a congressional report. Increased examinations and laboratory testing should be completed before food reaches American consumers, House Energy and Commerce Committee investigators said in the report to be released tomorrow. They reached the conclusion after traveling to China to review how the country polices food safety. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is under criticism from lawmakers, including Representative John D. Dingell, a Michigan Democrat, who say the agency didn't do enough to protect against contaminated imports of seafood, toothpaste and pet food ingredients from China this year. The FDA inspects less than 1 percent of food imports. ' 24% increase The U.S. estimates that imports of all goods from China rose 24 percent to $341 billion in the fiscal year ended last month, from $275 billion a year earlier, according to U.S. government data. An FDA deputy commissioner, Randall Lutter, said at a Sept. 26 congressional hearing that the agency should inspect more food imports as part of a broader strategy to identify products that pose the biggest dangers. Lacks adequate regulation China lacks adequate internal regulation of farming and food processing, according to the congressional report, completed for the Energy and Commerce panel's investigations subcommittee. The report also cited a "willingness of some entrepreneurs in both China and the United States to smuggle'' tainted food and an "advanced'' document-counterfeiting industry. As a result, there should be a ``much more vigorous program of inspection and laboratory testing in China and at U.S. ports of entry'' than the FDA ``has been able or willing to pursue to date,'' according top the report. The FDA was also faulted by the report for accepting food from Chinese companies that don't have export certificates required by that country's government. Food from companies with government certificates undergoes more scrutiny from Chinese regulators, the report said. The certificates aren't a guarantee of safe products, though the lack of a certificate "most certainly means that Chinese quality control has been evaded,'' the report said. – Bloomberg London Food Hall Has 109 Fish Varieties London has a new exclusive food hall - selling more than 109 different varieties of fish. The John Lewis department store group has opened its new gastronomic centre in Oxford Street - the size of a small supermarket - with the New Zealand owned Sealord operation in northern Lincolnshire supplying almost 60 per cent of all the seafood on display. Although the Waitrose supermarket chain is part of the John Lewis group, the new food hall is quite separate from that and is based on the lines of similar food halls at Harrods and other leading department stores around the world. Andy Street, managing director of John Lewis, said it had been "inspired by the great food halls of the world," such as those at the Isetan department store in Tokyo, the Globus stores in Switzerland, and by the "gastronomic food boutiques" of Paris. Street said: "The food hall concept is certainly something that will feature in our future growth plans." The food hall is part of an £84million revamp of the John Lewis flagship store, covers 1,500 sq meters - or around 17,000 sq ft - and will employ almost 200 staff. A similar food hall is due to open at the John Lewis store in Cardiff next year. The fish range includes all the popular white fish such as cod, haddock, plaice and turbot, along with farmed barramundi and red tilapia from New Zealand. There are also 40 different types of bread, more than 100 cheeses, half of them British - and 80 different types of champagne! Keith Brown, managing director of Sealord UK, said he was delighted and proud that his factory at Caistor near Grimsby was supplying over half the fish. "Our people have been helping with the layout and they say the fish display is magnificent." Sealord's new £3.2million fish processing factory opened earlier this year to provide coated fish products for the Waitrose chain. Brown said the new factory was very busy and was likely to get even busier as Waitrose increases the number of its stores around the country. The factory is designed for further production growth without having to physically increase the size of the building. Waitrose's managing director recently confirmed plans to double sales to £8billion over the next decade, with a store in every large town Britain. Keith Brown said the major problem affecting every fish processor at the moment was getting supplies which were being hit by bad weather and quota reductions. But he added that Sealord was fortunate in that it had a strong and reliable supply base. - Fish Update, UK Red Tide Experts Talk to Group ENGLEWOOD, Fla. - Red tide is a messy problem that may take a long time to solve, but progress is being made to bring it under control, according to three representatives from the scientific community who spoke before the Olde Englewood Village Homeowners Association at the Green Street Church Thursday. The presentation began with Dr. Jill Copeland, executive director for Solutions To Avoid Red Tide, who introduced a short film called "Guardians of the Gulf," which depicted businessmen, scientists, legislators and academics all united in one cause -- the preservation of a pristine Florida. "As an organization, we are very dedicated to raising public awareness through outreach efforts," said Leigh Zimmerman, control and mitigation outreach coordinator for START, as she launched into her segment. She focused on what red tide is, what it does and what can be done about it. "It is a microscopic, plantlike organism that creates neurotoxins," Zimmerman said. "The first documented case of Florida red tide was in the 1840s." The organism moves through the water quickly using tail-like appendages, she added. It utilizes multiple food sources and is present in the Gulf of Mexico all the time -- but in low concentrations. "In order to create a bloom, we need three things," Zimmerman said. "We need the cells to be present in the water, the right combination of nutrients in the water, and something to bring it all together such as a current, a wind or a storm." There are programs in place to protect human health, Zimmerman said. "Commercially harvested shellfish is monitored by a program that is very stringent, run by the Department of Agriculture," she said. "The Beach Condition Report is a Web and phone-based service where you can check conditions on a given day. It operates in Sarasota, Manatee and Lee counties, working with Mote Marine." The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration also uses satellite imagery, field observations and buoy data from the Gulf to produce a forecasting system to stay abreast of blooms, she added. Next up was Barbara Kirkpatrick, senior scientist for Mote Marine, who took the group through some of the most commonly asked questions about red tide, including: * Is it safe to eat fish caught in red tide? Answer: Yes, but the fish must be a fighter. Also, eat only the fillet. * Can I go shellfishing during a red tide, or cook seafood taken from a bloom? Answers: No, and no. * How far inland do red tide toxins travel? Answer: About 1 1/2 miles. * May I swim during a red tide? Answer: Skin rashes may occur. Rinse off thoroughly in fresh water afterward. * Can an asthmatic go to a beach during red tide? Answer: Expect to experience coughing, chest tightness, throat irritation, eye irritation and a decrease in lung function. Kirkpatrick concluded scientists have quite a way to go before red tide is solved. "The kicker is you're working a jigsaw puzzle without the luxury of having the box to see what the picture is," Kirkpatrick said. Charlotte Sun-Herald, FL <<<•>>> Tuesday, October 9, 2007Kip's Seafood Company IndictedEXPENSIVE CONCORD, N.H. - Federal authorities indicted a seafood company on charges that it shipped thousands of pounds of potentially dangerous shellfish to fish dealers in Philadelphia and New York who sold it to restaurants and other businesses. Kip's Seafood Company and its owner, Karl S. Crute Sr., were indicted last week on two felony counts of conspiring to transport and sell interstate commerce shellfish as well as shipping and selling it. Investigators say in September 2003 the Maine company shipped 10 loads of shellfish after its interstate license was suspended because the water used to wash the seafood at its plant was unclean. The indictment said Crute obtained approximately 800 interstate certification tags from Young's Shellfish Company in Maine. All shellfish is required by law to have tags so authorities can track it back to the location where it was harvested in case the water was contaminated. Donald A. Feith, an assistant U.S. attorney in New Hampshire where the indictment was filed, said Kip's Seafood used the Young's Shellfish tags to try to deceive law enforcement. "The tagging system that was circumvented was an important part of the health system," Feith said. "If someone had gotten sick, health officials wouldn't have been able to trace it back to Kip's Seafood." The shipments of clams and muscles were sent to large fish markets, including the Fulton Fish Market in the Bronx. "There were numerous deliveries to both Philadelphia and New York City," Feith said. Feith was unaware of anyone getting sick from the shellfish. "Fortunately, nobody appears to have gotten sick," he said. "There was no serious outbreak." Agents with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's law enforcement office also investigated also whether Crute, 66, had committed similar crimes in 2005 after his interstate license was suspended for "insufficient water sanitation," Feith said. "There were additional shipments in 2005 that we were not able to charge," Feith said. Feith said Crute did eventually install an advanced water purification system and had his interstate shipping license restored. Reached at his Maine home, Crute declined to comment because he hadn't seen the indictment. He said he's been in business for 66 years. He was scheduled to be arraigned Oct. 25 in Concord, N.H. If convicted Crute faces a maximum of 15 years in prison. Feith said Young's Shellfish Company was not indicted. He declined to say why. – BusinessWeek "Sustainable" Trend Taxes Developing CountriesKOCHI, India – The demand is for "greener fish." Environment-friendly and sustainably-harvested fish is what retailers and consumers are demanding in the United States. If the trend catches up, it may force seafood industries in developing countries, including India, to adapt to the new and taxing demands. The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) has indicated that the “need for seafood producers to guarantee environmental performance is unavoidable.” The producers may have to “assure retailers and consumers that their fish were not taken from overexploited stocks, farmed in ponds where mangroves once stood, or caught in nets without turtle-saving excluder devices installed, ” says a FAO communication. Several major seafood retailers have already committed to putting on their shelves only fish that was harvested or raised sustainably, says FAO. Economic blackmailingDr. K. Devadasan, director of the Central Institute of Fisheries Technology (CIFT), feels that the suggested restrictions amount to economic blackmailing by the buyer nations. The seafood exporting countries and developing nations should form an organization along the lines of OPEC. The proposals amounted to non-trade barriers like some of the unrealistic and impractical quality guidelines proposed earlier, Devadasan said. The buyer nations often introduce such measures when they want to reject or reduce the price of consignments, he said. Indirect trade barriersProfessor B. Madhusoodana Kurup, adviser to the State Fisheries Minister, says that environment-friendly guidelines are new forms of indirect trade barriers introduced under the pretext of conservation measures. If these guidelines were introduced, countries like India would be hit hard. It would not be easy to certify that the catch is not from over-exploited stock. In developing countries, most of the export varieties are either on the verge of being over-exploited or really over-exploited. Kurup felt that the proposal to ensure that fish are not farmed in ponds where mangroves once stood was a reasonable one and would help conservation of the mangroves. If these restrictions were imposed, it would affect the export and economy of the country, he said. According to M.K. Mukundan, Head of the Quality Assurance and Management Division of the CIFT, there was a veiled threat of blocking the export in the proposals. If the restrictions regarding the mangroves were to be introduced, it should be introduced only after fixing a cut-off date for the same. – The Hindu, India Group IDs Restaurants that Feature Local Catch Beaufort, N.C. - Sit down in a restaurant along North Carolina's coast, and you probably expect that the seafood on the table is local - but that is often not the case. Carteret Catch, however, is trying to change that. The group identifies restaurants and retailers serving seafood caught in Carteret County. Ones that do can hang a distinctive sign in their windows. "Often, people think that because they're in a coastal area that, of course, they're eating fresh local seafood, which they are not," Pam Morris, with Carteret Catch, said. Fresh local seafood has a hard time finding its way onto restaurant menus due to competition from inexpensive imports. Bradley Styrons, owner of the Fish House in Beaufort, said he hopes consumers will demand local seafood, such as the fresh shrimp caught on the coast that he serves. "The consumer doesn't know. I think a lot of times if they did know what they were eating, they would demand something different," Styrons said. Sharpies Bar and Grille, on the Beaufort waterfront, participates in the Carteret Catch program. Executive chef Jerry Frivance said he is proud to serve local seafood. "The stuff I get was swimming early in the morning or the day before I get it in. And it's right here," he said. "The stuff I pick out locally I guarantee is nice." Restaurateurs said local fishermen are betting on diners picking up on Carteret Catch's mission: to educate visitors to the coast, promote local seafood and teach the value of fresh fish. "I would believe if you sat down and had some local seafood, compared to some frozen stuff that was sent in from Taiwan, you could tell the difference," Styrons said. - WRAL.com – North Carolina Job Hazard: Chef Allergic to Fish Gordon McEwen could be forgiven for wanting to cry into his kilt at times. The veteran chef, who has cooked for some of the diplomatic community's most powerful members, is acutely allergic to fish. But the former Wellington restaurateur hasn't let what many would consider to be a major handicap get in the way of a stellar 40-year career in the kitchen. Now at the Tauranga Club in the Bay of Plenty, McEwen spent the past 19 years as chef to five U.S. ambassadors. During that time he catered for several world leaders and dozens of visiting dignitaries. It was while working at the ambassador's Lower Hutt residence he had his first reaction to seafood. "I'd been cooking fish for 25 years. I'd just had a meal when my eyes started falling out of my head and my lips began swelling up. It was not very pleasant." Since then, he has used gloves to prepare the fish and shellfish meals for which he has become renowned. At the same time, he "cooks" in his head - "I imagine the dish and the taste in my mind." McEwen's wife, Elizabeth, and other kitchen staff are called on to check seasoning and taste any new dish he develops. He says the allergy has had unexpected results - he believes his kitchen has some of the highest hygiene standards in the business. "I take huge care in the kitchen not to cross-contaminate anything. I've had to become very aware of the implements I use, which means everyone else in the kitchen picks up on that." While it doesn't hamper what goes on the menu - calamari in a soy-lime dressing; chili, garlic and ginger prawns; and fresh fish with an Asian mustard sauce and balsamic vinegar drizzle are some of his dishes - it has occasionally put a dampener on McEwen's social life. He has learned not to kiss his wife immediately after she has eaten seafood, and there have been several times when he's especially chosen steak at a restaurant only to suffer a reaction. "I've known straight away that whoever cooked that steak had been handling fish." Despite that, McEwen still loves fish. He waxes lyrical when describing the preparation that goes into his dishes, and says he remembers distinctly what fish tastes like; "the texture on my tongue, Akaroa smoked salmon ... it sometimes drives me insane that I can't taste it." He admits to being so tempted by a nice piece of fresh fish that he ate several small pieces "just in case I'd got over it. Unfortunately, I learned the hard way that I hadn't." Ironically, Thai fish sauce, tinned salmon and tuna, and marinated mussels, are four things that don't trigger a reaction. Nor does smelling seafood. "Like any- one else, I can tell what's fresh and what isn't," he laughs. - New Zealand Herald No Wild Edibles Until Labor Dispute Resolved NEW YORK – The high-end Meatpacking restaurant Pastis and its affiliated restaurants will stop purchasing seafood from Wild Edibles while the company is subject to litigation for alleged labor rights abuses, Brandworkers International, a nonprofit workers’ rights group, announced on Friday. Brandworkers, the Industrial Workers of the World union and Wild Edibles warehouse employees who joined a class-action suit against the major seafood wholesaler and retailer held a rally recently in front of Pastis to draw attention to where the “food chain” of products made by allegedly mistreated workers ends up. Balthazar, Schiller’s Liquor Bar, Morandi, Pravda and Lucky Strike will also halt using Wild Edibles until the labor dispute is resolved, according to Brandworkers. - Metro.us, New York City <<<•>>> Wednesday, October 10, 2007 Health Group: Pregnant Moms Need More FishEXPENSIVE NEW YORK – For years, pregnant and nursing women have been warned to limit the amount of fish they eat, because many marine species may contain high levels of mercury, which endangers newborns and fetuses. Last week, however, a children’s health group challenged the conventional wisdom, advising pregnant women and nursing mothers to eat more fish so as to ensure optimal brain development in their babies. Fears of mercury contamination have prompted many pregnant women to forgo fish entirely. Yet an increasing number of studies indicate that omega-3 fatty acids, found mostly in fish, are essential to brain development in fetuses and newborns. “Advice that limits seafood consumption might reduce the intake of nutrients necessary for optimum neurological development,” wrote scientists from the National Institutes of Health and the University of Illinois at Chicago. - New York Times Health Group's Advice to Pregnant Moms RefutedThe National Environmental Trust is attacking last week’s recommendation by the National Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies coalition for pregnant women and nursing mothers to eat 6 ounces of fish as an “industry-backed” manipulation. The National Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies coalition recommendation runs counter to Food and Drug Administration and Environmental Protection Agency advice to avoid fish because of mercury contamination, which can disrupt the normal development of the brain. The coalition argued that women are failing to get enough Omega-3 fatty acids because they aren’t eating enough fish, and that the need for Omeg-3 fats outweighed the risk from mercury. The National Environmental Trust says the coalition admitted to taking $60,000 to help promote its recommendation from a fishing industry group, the National Fisheries Institute. “Fish are not the only source of essential omega-3 fatty acids. Pregnant women can eat eggs, flax, nuts, and kiwi fruits and still receive high concentrations of omega-3s without worrying about possible contaminants,” the group said. “Not all fish are equal in the nutrition benefits they offer. This selective repacking of science, combined with push polling, misleads and confuses the public.” Confused yet? If you’re concerned about what fish to eat and what fish to avoid because of mercury — particularly if you’re thinking of getting pregnant, pregnant or breast feeding, consider the data provided by Oceans Alive, a project of Environmental Defense. It analyzes a number of fish based on both the level of Omega-3 fatty acids and the level of contaminants. Its recommended choices are those that are high in fatty acids but low in contaminants like mercury, pesticides and PCBs. As to whether you should eat fish at all, that’s a personal choice to make, based on the conflicting recommendations being promoted. - Daily Green Austin Restaurant Offers Vets Free Entrée Nov. 11 AUSTIN, Texas - McCormick & Schmick's Seafood Restaurants has announced that its seafood restaurants in Austin will host its annual Veterans Appreciation Event, and will offer all U.S. military veterans a free entrée on Sunday, Nov. 11, 2007, in appreciation for their service to our country. “McCormick & Schmick's is proud to continue our tradition of showing appreciation for the military veterans who have served our nation with such dedication,” said Doug Schmick, co-founder of McCormick & Schmick’s Seafood Restaurants. “We are expressing our gratitude to these service men and women by providing them with the opportunity to enjoy quality time with their loved ones in a place that offers a lively atmosphere and exquisite food for the entire family.” Austin McCormick & Schmick’s restaurants, located downtown at 401 Congress and the new location in the Domain (Mopac and Braker), will participate in this nationwide program. “The response to our annual veteran’s event has been overwhelming,” added Richard Everitt, general manager for McCormick & Schmick's Seafood Restaurant in Austin’s downtown location. “Year after year, it warms our hearts to hear from countless guests who have shared stories about their experience visiting one of our restaurants on this special day.” McCormick & Schmick’s Veterans Appreciation event began as a small grassroots effort at just one restaurant in 1999. Due to its overwhelming popularity and the positive response the company has received from veterans, the program was expanded nationwide. The McCormick & Schmick’s Veterans Appreciation Event has been lauded by President George W. Bush and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, as well as a number of state veterans departments and the National Restaurant Association. As in past years, McCormick & Schmick’s will extend this offer to those defined as a veteran by the Veterans Administration, Title 38 US Code 101, which is a person who served in the active military, naval, or air service, and who was discharged or released under conditions other than dishonorable. All veterans must show proper identification. Traditionally, the McCormick & Schmick's Veterans Appreciation event is held on the Sunday prior to the formal Veterans Day holiday. Since Veterans Day falls on a Sunday this year, the McCormick & Schmick's Appreciation event will take place this year on the formal holiday itself. – Press release Barry Bonds Should Have Eaten Fish Marion Jones, who sprinted and jumped her way to five Olympic medals, admitted last week that she took performance-enhancing steroids. According to Jones, her trainer gave her a substance she thought was flaxseed oil, but later realized was THG. Like Jones, Barry Bonds has denied knowingly taking steroids, stating that he also thought he was taking flaxseed oil. Why would athletes take flaxseed oil anyway? Because they don't like fish. Flaxseed oil contains omega 3 fatty acids, which help maintain cardiovascular health, but doctors usually recommend fish oil for the same benefits. Our bodies take the alpha-linolenic acids found in flaxseed oil and convert them into other omega-3 fatty acids that are found in fish oil: docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA). The strongest scientific evidence for benefits from omega-3s suggests they decrease the amount of fat in our bloodstream and help reduce the risk of a heart attack. They are also believed to strengthen muscles and bones, and they may keep tissues elastic so that blood vessels can maintain a lower blood pressure and the heart doesn't need to pump as hard. These health benefits make DHA and EPA especially attractive for athletes. Flaxseed and fish oils might also help an athlete to recover from injuries. The omega-3s affect the production of cytokines, which are involved in regulating inflammation in the body. And they increase the body's sensitivity to the effects of insulin, which allows fatigued muscles to absorb more glucose, amino acids, and other nutrients needed for repair. Flaxseed oil does have some chemical compounds that fish oil lacks. The lignans found in seeds, fruits and vegetables, and whole grains are thought to have antiviral and antibacterial purposes. They also help maintain a healthy cholesterol level. On the whole, though, it may not make a lot of sense for athletes to take flaxseed oil instead of fish oil, since many scientists believe individuals differ in how efficiently they convert the omega-3 fatty acids in flax into EPA and DHA. According to a 2002 study from the British Journal of Nutrition, women turn just a third of the flaxseed fatty acids into the good stuff; men were even less successful. It's much easier to pop a fish oil pill, which delivers EPA and DHA straight to the body. – Slate Saying Goodbye to the Last Bluefin The 300-kilogram bluefin tuna that Ewen Clark landed off Prince Edward Island in late September could have earned him thousands of dollars at auction. The giants, whose ruby-red meat is savored by sushi connoisseurs from Tokyo to Toronto, are the most valuable fish in the sea. Prize specimens can sell for as much as $10,000 right off the boat and have been known to command 10 times that much in Japan's markets. But Clark and his sport-fishing team let this one go off Malpeque after jabbing a $4,000 device into its silvery back to aid a U.S.-Canada research team tracking the imperiled creatures. The device will gather intelligence in the Atlantic for the next year if the fish can avoid the countless hooks, nets, traps and harpoons that have been reducing the stocks. The giant bluefins, which can live as long as 30 years, are at the center of an escalating international battle. No one knows precisely how many remain in the sea but most people agree they are in serious trouble. The "western" stock, which once cruised in vast numbers up the eastern seaboard into Canadian waters, is so depleted that U.S. fishermen caught just 12 per cent of their allowable commercial quota last year. They expect to do even worse this year. The stock in the eastern Atlantic and Mediterranean, meanwhile, has been pillaged by what officials describe as an "out-of-control" fishery capturing three times as many bluefins as scientists say should be harvested. "I am very concerned that the western stock has collapsed, and the eastern (stock) is, if not collapsed, on the verge of collapse," said William Hogarth, chairman of the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas. "They're catching the last few really big fish," said biologist Carl Safina of the U.S.-based Blue Ocean Institute, who compares the fishery to the dying days of the buffalo hunt. He says the remaining giants are too precious to be carved up on sushi platters and should be left to spawn and rebuild stocks. The tags show bluefin from the eastern and western Atlantic often cruise the same water. The two stocks - the smaller one that spawns in the Gulf of Mexico, and the bigger stock that spawns in the Mediterranean - often intermingle on the foraging and fishing grounds. And they routinely cross the arbitrary line drawn down the middle of the Atlantic by fish managers who have for decades treated the eastern and western stocks as separate. In recent years more than 50,000 tons of bluefin have been pulled out of the Mediterranean and the eastern and north Atlantic. That's far in excess of the 32,000 tons allowed until this year under quotas set by the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas, which represents more than 40 countries. The fishing in the eastern management zone is so excessive that science advisers at ICCAT recommended last year that the allowable catch be slashed to 15,000 tons. The bluefin fishery in North American waters is much smaller, with a quota of 2,100 tonnes shared among the U.S., Canada, Japan and Mexico. Hogarth, who was appointed ICCAT chair in 2005, supported the cut to the eastern fishery, as did Jones, who is Canada's commissioner to ICCAT. But they were out-voted by European and African nations, which dismissed the recommendation and set their 2007 quota at 29,500 tons. They decided to "just blow off the science," Hogarth said. "To me, that's inexcusable." The World Wildlife Fund is calling for creation of a sanctuary in the western Mediterranean where bluefins breed. It is also urging ICCAT, which meets next month, to bring in "urgent measures to facilitate stock recovery." Some argue Canada is simply seeing the last of the big tuna, which have always been attracted to cold northern waters. And, once the giants are caught, the fishery will collapse, some say. "The Canadian bluefin tuna fishery will fall apart completely within five years," Safina said. Montreal Gazette, Canada <<<•>>>
Thursday, October 11, 2007
Fish Buyer Knows a Great CatchEXPENSIVE Catalano is the man behind the fish at Eli's and the Vinegar Factory, and he's the fish buyer for B.R. Guest Restaurants, which include Aqua Grill, Blue Fin, Ocean Grill, and others. In the market's 400,000-square-foot refrigerator, he's a respected fixture. Not that he's ever stationary. Flipping through his clipboard full of orders, he scurries up and down the stalls, returning here and there to press gently on a sea bass or lay hands on a fat scallop or two. Catalano is hired for his knowledge, but he trusts his instincts. "You can tell a good fish by looking at it," he says. "When you open the box, does it say, 'I'm good to eat'?'" Sometimes it seems this simple. Running his finger along a striped bass, he says, "You want the firmness. When you cut it, filet it, it doesn't fall apart." But there are tricks. At one point, he holds a shrimp under a visitor's nose. "Smell the iodine? It'll eat like iodine," he says, tossing it back onto the pile. He offers a different shrimp, from a different pile. It smells like absolutely nothing. "That'll eat good," he says. About 30 years ago, when he was 26, Catalano found himself miserable on a business trip in Milwaukee and promptly quit his job, with no plan. "I was a jerk," he says. He started driving trucks for his brother-in-law, who owned a big shellfish company. It was just "a means to an end," he says, but pretty soon Catalano opened his own store on the Upper East Side. "I had no knowledge of the fish business," he recalls. "I happened to hire the right guys." And many of the guys he knows become pals. Not only a fish person, Catalano's a people person. Besides pressing bass, he may even grab-ass one of his pals. "I love that guy—and he has great fish," he says of one of his "victims." Good relationships can lead him to some great catches. At Emerald Seafood Company's stall, one of the guys points out John Dory, a favorite of Catalano's. Intrigued, he asks whether any have sold. "I would never sell them," the guy tells Catalano, "until I showed them to you." Catalano picks out a few, and they become specials that night at a couple of the restaurants. The "hot fish" this particular day is wild king salmon, and they're huge. "Are you kidding me?" Catalano exclaims. "They gotta be freaking elephants. What do I need a 40-pound fish for?" The seller comes over and says he thinks the fish looks good. Catalano replies: "Great. Take it home. Feed the family!" After a few minutes, the guy says "All right, you old fart," and magically produces some smaller fish. "There's always something," Catalano later explains. What Your Customers are ReadingIf you want to help maintain supplies of fish for years to come, many marine experts say you should do your part to help with conservation efforts. It doesn't have to be hard. Here's how: - Find a reliable fishmonger. Try to cultivate a relationship with a reputable seafood store in your neighborhood. If you don't have one, select your grocery store carefully. Look for evidence that the store cares: Is the fish properly labeled with country of origin and whether it's fresh or farmed? Does the store offer products with the Marine Stewardship Council's logo? Is there an actual human behind the fish counter? Is that person knowledgeable? Visit the company's Web site and call corporate headquarters to find out whether it is trying to source sustainably. - Ask that fishmonger questions. Three major factors affecting sustainability are biology (short-lived, quick-maturing fish with vigorous reproductive cycles are highly sustainable), catch methods (hook-and-line and traps are often favored because they have low environmental impact and don't snag many unwanted species), and fishery management (whether good policies are in place for preserving the habitat and the species). For each purchase, ask your purveyor "Where does this fish come from?," "How was it caught?" and, if you really want to push it, "Who caught this fish?" Their answers or willingness to find them will tell you whether to keep shopping there. "These should be as basic as cooking and freshness questions," says Paul Johnson, author of "Fish Forever." "It should just become part of the dialogue." - Know the right answers. Investigate your favorite seafood. If you like shrimp, should you be buying wild or farmed, imported or American? (Answer: wild American shrimp are a good choice because U.S. shrimping boats have gear that helps them avoid turtles). Instead of learning the entire seafood universe, Joey Brookhart, senior project manager for the trade group Seafood Choices Alliance, recommends thoroughly researching your three favorites and figuring out where they should come from and how they should be caught or farmed. On the flip side, identify one fish on the "best" list that you've never tried and see whether you like it. - Use the available shortcuts. Carry the Seafood Watch pocket guide and actually pull it out at the fish counter. Look for the Marine Stewardship Council's blue oval. - Give yourself a break. "Read the cards, go on Web sites, familiarize yourself with what sustainable means, and with every purchase ask the questions where, when, how, why, who," says chef Barton Seaver, who runs Hook in Washington, D.C. "You may not always make the right choice. But you've started the information trail. And that's the only thing that's going to get us where we need to be. When people start asking why, change begins to happen." - Ventura County Star, CA Seafood Safety Questions Answered ROCHESTER, N.Y. - Seafood is a fantastic source of protein, zinc, iron and the healthy omega-3 fats; and it is low in unhealthy saturated fat. But the debate continues about the safety of consuming seafood because it often contains a fair amount of methyl mercury, PCBs and dioxins. Here are some answers to commonly asked questions about seafood safety: Farm-raised or wild — which is better? With that said, wild stocks are diminishing because of over-fishing and therefore are more expensive. How much is safe? Should I avoid certain species? Higher-mercury fish should be avoided by pregnant and lactating women and women intending to become pregnant. These include shark, swordfish, tilefish and king mackerel. What are the health benefits of seafood? Omega-3 fats have a positive impact on improving early brain development. For this reason, pregnant and nursing moms shouldn't deny themselves seafood altogether. - Rochester Democrat and Chronicle, NY Omega-3s Good for Diabetes Prevention A study from researchers and students at UCDHSC was published in the Sept. 26 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association that suggests that children at risk for Type 1 diabetes could possibly lower their risk by increasing their intake of omega-3 fatty acids. These fatty acids can be found in fish, according to Dr. Jill Norris, professor of preventive medicine and biometrics at UCDHSC. Fish As Part of a Healthy Diet CONCORD, N.H. - New Hampshire's Department of Environmental Services and Shaw's Supermarket are joining up to promote eating fish as part of a healthy diet. They are reaching out to educate women of childbearing age about fish consumption and mercury awareness. A new poster going up at the supermarket outlines the benefits of eating fish and points out which fish to avoid due to mercury concentrations. Recent scientific debate and fish consumption advisories have resulted in confusion resulting in some women deciding to avoid fish altogether during pregnancy. The two groups are planning to hold a news conference at the Shaw's Supermarket in Concord Heights this morning. -WCAX, Vermont |