This Week’s Obsession, and really my This Year’s Obsession, is sustainable seafood.
You’ve heard all the buzz, but perhaps aren’t quite sure of the issues involved and are confused about what you should or should not be eating.
Sustainable seafood is seafood from either fished or farmed sources that can maintain or increase production in the future without jeopardizing the ecosystems from which it was acquired. The sustainable seafood movement has gained momentum as more people become aware about both overfishing and environmentally-destructive fishing methods. That’s the short version.
The long version is what I learned last week when I attended The Seafood Summit at Bluewater Grill in Tustin where Logan Kock of Santa Monica Seafood, in partnership with Monterey Bay Aquarium, discussed Seafood Sourcing and Sustainability and Marine Stewardship and Aquaculture; and David Anderson, biologist at the Aquarium of the Pacific, followed up with A Vision of Seafood Sustainability in the Future.
Talking points included:
* the Seafood Watch rating system that Santa Monica Seafood and Monterey Bay Aquarium are developing specifically for foodservice establishments
* ratings are based on not just species, but specific area and method of catch as well as seasonality
* better fish farm systems have been developed
* how farming takes the pressure off the wild salmon species
* many of the environmental issues surrounding fish farm systems are decades old and have been resolved with better practices yet continue to influence consumer choices, specifically choosing wild salmon over farmed
* responsible farming is what’s going to save wild species
* monitoring agencies have led to better feed conversion ratios, rotating pens, etc.
And so much more….
Mind boggling, but let’s get to why Bluewater Grill is This Week’s Obsession!
David Anderson, Aquarium of the Pacific, mentioned that “Bluewater Grill is the only restaurant that offers full sourcing disclosure on its extensive selection of fish and is committed toward solutions for our oceans.”
During the talks we sampled Bluewater Grill’s Manhattan and New England Clam Chowder and a cedar plank selection of 4 different kinds of salmon: Wild Sockeye, Wild King Salmon, Farm Raised Atlantic Salmon, and Farm Raised British Columbian King Salmon.
We moved to the oyster bar where Chef Brian Hirsty advised us on what to look for when selecting fish and ways to cook fish. (Video and post coming next week)
Jimmy Ulcickas, co-founder of Bluewater Grill discussed oyster species and sourcing and showed us how easy it is to shuck an oyster. We sampled Blue Points, Malpaque, Fanny Bay, Hammersley, and Kumomoto oysters. I’ll have an entire post dedicated to oysters next week; until then – do you like oysters, if so, what’s your favorite (s)?
4 Locations:
With Earth Day coming up on April 22nd, why not make a commitment to sustainable seafood!
Photos courtesy of Sophia’s Choice
Victoria
Sustainable seafood is huge right now! I mean, it SHOULD be. I’m glad you got to attend a fun and informative event that focused on this growing trend, and thanks for sharing it with us 🙂
RavieNomNoms
What a great post! Lots of information which is great because I haven’t heard of this before. Thanks for sharing!
Alaska Food & Wine
A very nice article about an important topic that really isn’t a new issue at all. Sustainability should always be an important part of our decision-making about food, especially seafood. We’re very lucky in Alaska to have access to some of the best seafood in the world — and our suppliers make every effort to bring the bounty to market throughout the Lower 48.
Eat fresh, eat local (whenever possible), and eat with mindfulness. And accompany it with a glass of nice wine. 🙂
Priscilla
@Alaska Food & Wine – Thanks and totally agree with your last statement 🙂
Magic of Spice
Love Bluewater Grill, we must go our next lunch outing…great info on sustainable seafood!
Priscilla
@Magic of Spice – Thanks, there’s much more to come! And, yes, we should definitely do lunch there soon 🙂
Kim
Kumomotos. ALL THE WAY. We love them so much that we ordered a half dozen for each of on Friday night, Saturday lunch and Saturday dinner of last week when were back up in SF/Sonoma.
DELICIOUS. I’m with you on the oyster obsession. 😛
[K]
Lisa { AuthenticSuburbanGourmet }
Wish we had a Bluewater Grill in the Bay Area! Great information on sustainable fish. Enjoy your weekend. 🙂
Angie's Recipes
wow that lobster! Droooooooool…..
Sommer@ASpicyPerspective
Great article Priscilla. All the photos look delicious!
Jim U
Priscilla
Thanks so much for this amazing endorsement and helping us get the word out about our commitment. We REALLY appreciate it.
Very Sincerely,
Jim U
Pachecopatty
I will look for a Bluewater Grill, unfortunately we don’t have one in the Bay Area.
Earth day is on my wedding anniversary this year, just another reason to celebrate;-) Great article and photos, this information is vital to all of us who care about making the right choices at the market.
[email protected]
Wow, this is some great information… thank you so much for sharing!!
Andi
read your fish and oyster entries but can’t find the third one