“In the past, most regulations were designed to control fisher-
man behavior, says Tom Fitzgerald, a senior policy specialist at
the EDF. “With catch shares, you avoid a fishing derby, which
Because of such careful management, many U.S. fish stocks
have rebounded. According to the NRDC, 28 of 44 species have
achieved rebuilding targets or made progress. Sixteen species,
is what happens in the rush to catch as many fish as possible in
an allotted period of time. Not only is the fish not handled well,
but also you end up with a lot of dead or dying bycatch.
who’s keeping track?
New programs that ensure traceability and sustainability
are in the works, particularly in reviving business in the Gulf
of Mexico fishing grounds so badly affected by Hurricane
Katrina and the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. Total Catch
markets and distributes Gulf bycatch, which includes barrel fish, blue runner and beard fish. Gulf Seafood Trace and
Gulf Wild use “smart” technology so that consumers can see
the history of their fish from sea to market. Gulf Wild tags
targeted species so that buyers know that the fish were caught
in sustainably designated fisheries.
Brian Landry, former head chef for the Louisiana Seafood
Promotion and Marketing Board, is now executive chef at
Borgne in New Orleans, which highlights Louisiana coastal
cuisine. About Gulf Seafood Trace, he says, “Under this
program, seafood taken out of our waters is tracked with a trip
ticket so that we can track the seafood from the water to the plate,
and we will know exactly where it came from. For instance, if
I harvest oysters, I fill out a form with the date, which area and
how many pounds harvested.”
is that fish trash?
To call attention to the
cod situation, but also to help
fishermen market lesser-known
fish, Chefs Collaborative, a
Boston-based organization of
sustainably committed chefs, sponsored a “trash fish” dinner
in March. In what has become a model for similar dinners
throughout the U.S., local chefs focused on underutilized
species that fishermen often throw out as bycatch.
Larry Leibowitz, regional executive chef for Redwood
Shores, Calif.-based Guckenheimer, created canapés of
pollock brandade, surf clams and pickled squid, and a redfish
ceviche. From Evan Mallett, chef/owner at Black Trumpet
Bistro, Portsmouth, N.H., there was a first course of butter-milk-braised dogfish and sea lettuce salad on the half shell
with scallop crudo and scallop roe emulsion. Chef Richard
Garcia at Boston’s 606 Congress served a second-course Cape
Cod blood cockle satay. And Michael Scelfo, executive chef at
Russell House Tavern, Cambridge, Mass., created a third course
of pan-roasted dogfish with sunchoke puree, red wine syrup and
sea urchin toast.
In Chicago, Paul Fehribach, executive chef/co-owner of
Big Jones, organized May’s trash fish dinner with these participating Chicago chefs: Erling Wu-Bower, Avec; Paul Kahan,
Blackbird; Bruce Sherman, North Pond; Sarah Stegner and
George Bumbaris, Prairie Grass Cafe; Laura Piper, Trattoria
No. 10; Michael and Patrick Sheerin, Trenchermen; and Paul
Virant, Vie, Perennial Virant. Featured species included blue runners, butterfish, conger eel, dogfish, grunts, scup, triggerfish and
triple tail.
