fishmonger

I know I should be writing about mercury in seafood, but frankly there has been plenty of press. I am concerned about mercury in seafood and elsewhere.

Despite the current economic situation I want to encourage everyone to keep eating sustainable seafood. We all need to reap the benefits of great seafood more than ever. The healthy benefits of seafood will pay for themselves in the long run; with increased brain function, decreased risk of coronary problems, just to name a couple. Seafood prices have remained stable and are apparently on a downward trend. Some relief has been granted to local fisheries as the price of fuel continues to decline. And I received the first freight reduction in years from one of our trucking companies. So now is a great time to vote with your wallet and continue to support sustainable seafood. Here is a list of some reasonably priced choices. Bluefish (wild caught local) Mussels (farmed, US and Canada) Clams (farmed or wild hand dug) Barramundi (farmed, US) Coldwater Shrimp (wild, US and Canada)

I guess you would expect me to suggest you read the new book Bottomfeeder , but I won't burden you this beautiful summer weekend with something so serious. Instead pick up one of these, they are only remotely seafood related. A Salty Piece of Land by Jimmy Buffet - Mix up a few margaritas and enjoy this lighthearted tale about a young man searching for bonefish and a second chance. Atomic Lobster by Time Dorsey - The title has little to do with the book, but if you like classic pulp fiction with a slightly sick Floridian sense of humor this Tampa native will have you laughing out loud at the beach this weekend. Hooked: Pirates, Poaching and the Perfect Fish by G. Bruce Knecht - Ok so one of my selections is about commercial fishing. I think that this is a great informational non-fiction work about "Chilean Sea Bass". I am only recommending this because it is written very well and reads like a mystery novel, besides some excerpts about the Antarctic could have a cooling...

Sarah Palin

Stop eatin' so much fish! GOURMET meals dished up to pampered pets could be threatening world fish supplies, Victorian scientists have warned. Calculations by Deakin University researchers show an estimated 2.48 million tonnes of forage fish are used each year by the global cat food industry.........Dr Turchini's paper, co-written with colleague Professor Sena De Silva, is published online by the Journal of Agricultural and Environmental Ethics . link I have to say this did not even dawn on me. But when you stop to think about it those cats are sure chowing down upon a great deal of the oceans bounty. And why should they benefit from all our labors, not like my dog who will eat just about anything. These high falutin' felines are starting to demand the finest select cuts of wild salmon and halibut. When was the last time you saw a cat actually catch a fish? Let them eat rat.

Two young students using simple dna testing techniques are shining the light again on the growing problem of mislabeled seafood. Everyone in the seafood business should be outraged as consumers and I am at the deception of a few bad purveyors and retailers. Not only is it wrong to mislead the consumers, but this leads to a wider range of problems. These problems range from unfair trade to species depletion from bad catch reporting. Read the article in the NY Times. So I want to personally thank these two intrepid sleuths. Here are a few ways to assure you are getting the fish you pay for (without DNA testing). Know your fishmonger. Buy whole fish, not fillet. If the price is to good to be true, it probably is. A similar article also appears in the Canadian Globe and Mail .

We have seen this kind of publicity stunt before. Back in June they proposed a lobster empathy center in Maine. PETA would have us close all the zoos and aquariums. I think that a well run facility can not only provide useful education opportunities but also a positive message of sustainability. ORLANDO: Whale of an Offer: Buy SeaWorld , Free Animals An animal-rights group says a supporter wants to buy one or more SeaWorlds from the theme parks' soon-to-be new owner so it can free all the animals, even killer whales. People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals says an undisclosed donor wants to buy at least one SeaWorld park, then free the animals and replace them with virtual-reality or animatronic displays. Belgium-based InBev , one of the world's largest brewers, is to acquire the SeaWorld parks as part of its $52 billion acquisition of Anheuser -Busch Cos. Busch calls the offer "a publicity stunt." [ Source: Orlando Sentinel ]