As predicted, catch limits for the 2012 Pacific Halibut commercial fishing season were reduced during the 88^th IPHC Annual Meeting which met between January 23^rd and the 27^th. Committee members came to an overall catch limit reduction of 18% or 7.53 million pounds, leaving states on the U.S. West coast, Alaska and British Columbia with a total of 33.54 million pounds to split. All but two of the Regulatory Areas saw a decrease in quota; the catch levels of British Columbia’s Areas 2A and 2C were increased by 9 and 13 percent respectively. The Areas of greatest reduction were found in Alaska’s 3B and 4A with 32% and 35% reductions. This cutback follows last year’s total allowable catch reduction of 19% and the IPHC scientific staff agrees that there will be further cuts next season if the issue with size at age (see earlier article) does not correct itself this year.

The Committee also made changes to the start and end dates of the 2012 season which will open on March 17^th and end on November 7^th. The original suggested season would have started on March 31^st and ended on October 31^st but because of tides, the season’s proximity to Easter and the economic need for a longer season, the Committee decided on a slightly elongated fishing period.

A further outcome of this year’s meeting was the awareness that the scientific model used to determine biomass is flawed and in need of a complete overhaul. We can most likely expect to see a new or at least improved model in 2013.

The major ports of each Regulatory Area are as follows:

2A- Seattle

2B- Victoria, Vancouver, Prince Rupert

2C- Juneau, Sitka, Petersburg

3A- Yakutat, Cordova, Steward, Homer, Kodiak

3B- Kodiak, Homer, Steward, Sand Point,

4- Dutch Harbor, St. Paul, St. George, Adak

Changes to catch limit and regulatory or management actions will be especially important this year as concern about the decreased average size of the Pacific Halibut grows. Though the fishery, which is jointly managed by the U.S. and Canada, is doing well in terms of abundance, Pacific Halibut seem to be growing more slowly than in the past. Most fish are now less than 32 inches in length, too small for the commercial fishery and even too small for most anglers. Fishermen are required to discard any halibut that is less than 32 inches because this is the minimum length at which Halibut are considered to be sexually mature. Keeping fish under this size will prevent further generations from being produced. This amplifies the importance of regulating the number of adult fish caught. There has been talk of drastic harvest cuts.

With the slow growth rate of these fish causing a rise in discard amounts, there is an increased number of small Halibut in the Eastern Pacific. Though an abundance of fish is usually considered a good thing, these fish are having an influence on non-directed fisheries, like the Gulf of Alaska (GOA) trawl and groundfish hook and line fleet. Fishermen within these fisheries are typically targeting Pacific Cod, but are given a Halibut bycatch quota to account for the inevitable incidental catch. Once this Halibut bycatch limit has been met, the whole fishery is closed. Halibut bycatch has closed the GOA trawl fisheries every year from 2000 to 2011. Finding a respectable equilibrium between user groups in times of abundance and in times of downturn will be a challenge that the Commission is faced with this year at the Annual Meeting.

With so many stakeholders involved and jobs at stake, it will be interesting to see how catch limits and regulatory actions are adjusted this week in Anchorage. 

Harvested by long line Canadian fishing vessels, these large Atlantic Ocean swordfish are prized for their freshness, firm meat and taste. The cold waters of Eastern Canada make these fish very fat and it is this that gives the meat a lot of flavor.  This is very similar to what marbling does for the flavor of beef. The more fat, the more flavor!

These fish are not available year round. They have been available since the last week of August and we expect to have fish available well in to October.  However, some fishing boats have almost caught their quotas and the weather on the water can turn nasty at any time. This means that if you don’t buy these soon, you will miss out on an exceptional treat and you may have to wait until next summer to have the chance to enjoy them again.  If you are a lover of swordfish, now is the time to experience the best eating swordfish ever.  Just make sure that what you are buying is Emerald Basin, Canadian, Long Line Swordfish. You will not be sorry!

If you answered yes, you probably have already tasted Swai.  Swai was originally presented to the foodservice and restaurant industry as a versatile substitute for more expensive white fish.  Today it is more appreciated for its mild, sweet taste, year round availability, firm texture and ability to hold up to extended cooking and reheating.  Despite its popularity in the foodservice industry, Swai is still relatively unknown to the average consumer. 

Swai is farm raised in the rivers of Vietnam and Cambodia and suffers from a bit of an identity crisis.   Swai was initially introduced to the market in the early 2000’s as Vietnamese Greysole, Catfish or even Grouper.  Sometimes this misidentification came from an attempt to introduce the fish in a context that customers could understand.  Other times, unscrupulous importers sold it as Grouper to make a profit from the perception of higher value.  Earlier this year, two executives from a Florida-based distribution company were sent to prison for knowingly mislabeling Swai as Grouper.  There was also a plea bargain on a similar case in Massachusetts as well.

Adding to the confusion, Swai has gone through a number of name changes.  Initially it was identified as Catfish which is an accurate description since it comes from the Catfish family.    However, U.S. processors petitioned that labeling it Catfish was misleading. Just a few years ago it was also commonly called Basa bocourti.  It was later determined that it was not this specie, but a similar one called Pangasuis hypophthalmus.  Currently the FDA allows Pangasuis hypophthalmus to be called Swai, Tra, Striped Pangasuis or Sutchi.

All this confusion about the correct name might be the main reason why many consumers do not know about Swai.  One thing for sure is that they have probably already tasted it.  It is a very versatile fish, ideal for almost any style of cooking and adaptable to most recipes.  Recently, the Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood WATCH rated farmed Swai as having good potential for being a sustainable species.  As seafood prices continue to soar, expect to see Swai, a healthy and versatile fish, become a mainstay on menus and in retail seafood cases and for consumers to start knowing much more about it.

The IPHC has been around since 1923, working to preserve the Pacific halibut in waters off Canada and the United States. The Commission met in Victoria, B.C. this past January for their 87th Annual Meeting. Dr. Laura J. Richards of Nanaimo presided as chair for the Commission as they met with advising industry members to discuss regulatory changes, issues, and research.

During the conference, IPHC members met for multiple presentations by the staff. These presentations included discussing the comments made by the public and the industry regarding the proposed 2011 catch limit, as well as the public comments made in regard to possible regulatory changes. On each day of the meeting, sessions were held to discuss 2010’s Pacific halibut season, assess the stock at the end of the year, and make proposals for how to proceed into the 2011 season. These sessions were open to the public and industry members.

The final decisions regarding the catch limit and the opening and closing dates for the season were decided upon by only the members of the Commission. The Canadian and American IPHC members, appointed by the highest power of each respective country’s government, are highly qualified to make such important judgments. We look forward to a successful season.

Why is this happening? Unfortunately, bad news is often times more compelling than good news.  Organizations and people who have agendas can also be responsible for the negative attention. Thankfully, most of the time the media have the best of intentions, but the cautionary or alarmist tenor of their stories distracts consumers from the many benefits of eating seafood.  The end result is a chilling effect on seafood consumption which ultimately endangers the health of the consumers that we’re all trying to protect.

Eating seafood has been proven to have a positive impact on a person’s health and well being – a fact the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) agreed with earlier this year.  Every five years, the United States Congress mandates a review of the dietary needs of Americans by the FDA.  The FDA’s most recent guidelines spoke specifically about the benefits of seafood in American diets and actually recommended doubling the weekly intake of seafood in its report to 8 ounces per week.  Obviously, there are risks with any food, but is seafood riskier than other proteins?  Not according to CDC statistics.

The media reports the news and communicates what’s been given to them.  Negative stories far outnumber positive ones, and the information in these articles seems to stick around longer than the good news.  How do we get enough good news out there to put seafood into the proper context? 

Fortunately, the FDA is putting some serious thought and science behind this topic which clarifies the issue.  For example, one of the most widely believed misconceptions is that seafood is very harmful to pregnant mothers. Yet the FDA’s last report highlights that seafood contains nutrients that are essential to brain development in pre-natal health and it has many more benefits than potential risks to pregnant mothers.  The FDA also went on to recommend an increase in seafood consumption for children because of its potential positive impact on a child’s health and well being. 

We can’t be passive.  We need to get better control of the message.  First, we need to rebut inaccuracies in reported stories.  Second, we need to better communicate the risk/reward ratio with seafood.   Avoiding seafood because of alarmist stories is overly cautious. Eating seafood is clearly beneficial and avoiding it diminishes the value of the consumers’ diet, which is the real long term risk. 

I have realized after spending seven weeks oversees in the past three months that the US is moving to a ’seafood has been’ status.  In fact, if the data from the GAA conference in Malaysia and the Groundfish Forum in Auckland is to be believed, the USA by 2030 will comprise just 10% of the world’s middle class.  The East is rising and the economic ‘Center of Gravity’ continues to shift east.

With the meteoric rise of middle class in the BRIC countries (Brazil, Russia, India and China) more money will be spent on luxury goods and seafood is a luxury food.  The numbers are mind boggling….3 billion middle class in the world by 2030; only twenty years away!  The new members to the middle class are used to spending a high proportion of their income on food.  This group will see their overall food spending percentage to income decrease but this spending will include more purchases of luxury food items.  More people will have the ability to choose what they want to eat for pleasure, not for necessity.  Food items that were out of reach will now be affordable and will be consumed locally versus being exported.  Anyone who imports seafood into the US sees this happening now.

While I was in China, export prices were rising due to a variety of factors, not the least of which was the growing domestic market.  The same was true in India, a country where the majority of people (1.2+ billion) are vegetarians. While there, we were told 4% of that population eats seafood which means 48 million people are seafood consumers.  Consequently, the domestic Indian fresh head on shrimp market is growing at an exponential rate and the Indian shrimp exporters have a new element to factor into their export pricing equation.

So where does this leave the US consumer?  We have expectations regarding our food cost and portion size that looking ahead, aren’t sustainable in this new BRIC era.  The past is becoming unrealistic when facing the future. This is true in many different areas not just seafood.  Americans are going to have to make some adjustments.  Especially with respect to seafood, there is going to be too much competition to have an expectation of cheap, large portion sizes.  Will US Seafood consumption continue to decline as the emerging nations’ consumption increases?

Seafood is a vital part of the American diet.  The health benefits far surpass the other protein categories.  While we might be a ‘has been’ when viewed through the lens of our existing food style, we still are in the fore front with respect to food innovation and creativity.   The US still sets world trends and most of the world still aspires to have what we have.  Americans need to be creative with how we use seafood…consider skin on fillets, smaller portion sizes, creative cuts and food pairings as options.  Value is no longer just about how many ounces for what cost…value is now about getting a healthy, diverse protein to the end user at a level that is affordable and satisfactory.  What is an acceptable quantity on the lunch/dinner plate is going to have to be adjusted downwards.   We are going to have to pay more for availability. 

This new value proposition is hitting Americans in all areas of our lifestyle and our supremacy at the top of the world heap is changing.  If we don’t adjust we literally won’t have, others will be there first.  We need to wake up and think ahead, not wait for things to go back to the way they were, those days are gone.  Seafood processors/importers need to tap into our ‘can do’ ability and give the market options so that seafood remains a dynamic protein category for the US consumer.

Atlantic Monkfish (Lophius americanus)

 Atlantic Monkfish is a highly prized fish caught in the north Atlantic Ocean.  While it’s commonly found in upscale restaurants in Europe it’s often overlooked in America.  It’s mild flavor and dense meaty texture have earned this fish the nickname “poor man’s lobster”, but it’s more delicate and versatile in cooking than this name would suggest.   Monkfish’s ugliness is legendary.  One wonders how this fish was ever brought to the table.  Don’t get intimidated.  Here’s a how-to that’ll help you bring this tasty fish from the ocean to your table.

This is a whole Monkfish. Monkfish average 7 to 9 pounds.  They are wild caught in the Atlantic Ocean from the coast of Nova Scotia down to the Carolinas as well as on the European side.

The head of the Monkfish is disproportionally large.  We’ve separated the head from the tail in this picture.  There are 2 parts of the Monkfish which are used- the liver (which is primarily for export) and the tail. 

This is a picture of the skin-on monkfish tail.  This is also the form that we freeze Monkfish for off-season thawed production.  Leaving the skin on protects the meat and gives the monkfish tail a shelf life of 12 to 18 months.

This picture shows the a whole Monkfish tail with the skin removed.  If you look closely you can see a large cartilage that runs down the center of the tail.  The color of the fish’s blood is a good indicator of the freshness of the fish - the brighter the red the more fresh the fish.

The picture above is of a fishmonger cutting the two sides of the monkfish tail into fillets. There is only one bone (which is actually cartilage) that runs down the center of the tail. That bone is discarded, leaving two loins of meat - wider at one end and tapering down to a point.

Here is a finished Monkfish fillet. Each  fillet can run from 12 to 20 ounces. The fillet to the left is the inside and the fillet to the right is showing the outside skin side, containing the membrane that would be typically be removed before cooking.

 This picture is an example of a finished monkfish dish - scrumptious monk medallions. These monkfish pieces are sautéed in a lemon butter sauce and ready for any fish lovers’ enjoyment!

Frozen at Sea, FAS, is the fastest way to stop seafood from deteriorating.  Once the seafood is caught and on board the factory vessel, it gets processed and immediately frozen.  This can occur within minutes or hours of the fish or shellfish being caught.  Often times the product has never had a chance to go through rigor mortis.   When this product is thawed under refrigeration, it has all the characteristics of just caught seafood and is almost ‘fresher than fresh’.

There are many seafood species or products that are Frozen at Sea.  Some of the finest eating seafood is processed this way and its ‘freshness’ is truly captured.  Items such as South African Lobster Tails, Patagonian Toothfish (Chilean Seabass), Cape Capensis Fillets, & Sashimi Swordfish Loins are just a few of the many seafood items that have superb quality because they are FAS. These products have been handled quickly and properly from ocean to freezer and their ‘freshness’ exceeds the non-frozen, chilled versions of the same product.

When evaluating the best option for your seafood needs, remember that in many instances, FAS seafood offers the finest quality available.  Just because a product has never been frozen, doesn’t mean it is the best or ‘freshest’ product in the marketplace.

Grilling and summer are two words that are very intertwined in the Northeast.   Why cook inside when the sun is shining and the temperatures are soaring?  While everyone is familiar with the traditional grill foods such as hamburgers, hotdogs & swordfish, most people don’t even think about the wonders of grilled cephalopods:  Squid & Cuttlefish.

One of the best meals of my life was on the Amalfi Coast in Italy where my husband and I had a lunch of grilled cuttlefish.  Simply prepared, it was so tasty and flavorful that we have often duplicated the preparation at home sans the ambiance of the location.  On the beach in Thailand I enjoyed wonderful grilled whole squid that makes my mouth water even now….and all these preparations are so easy to do on your own grill!

Cleaned cuttlefish or squid only need just a squeeze of lemon, a splash of olive oil and a quick turn on a hot grill to be cooked perfectly ‘Amalfi’ style.  If the tubes are left intact, it is best to score the squid or cuttlefish tube with a knife in diagonal lines prior to cooking.  Otherwise, open up the tubes and cook flat.  You know it is cooked when the flesh turns opaque in color.  Add a dash of salt and pepper and eat while hot!  Another option is to marinate the tube in soy sauce and then cook on a hot grill.  Dip in a spicy hot dipping sauce when done and you have ‘Thai’ style.

Squid & Cuttlefish represent some of the best value in the seafood category.  Remember their cooking method is not only fried or stewed.  With the sun shining, grilled is an awesome option that is very simple to do!