http://www.mountainx.com/dining/2011/072011go-fishJuly 21, 2011
Go fish | Mountain Xpress Dining | mountainx.com
Go fishFinding sustainable seafood in the mountains
Holy mackerel:
Tracy and David Griffin behind the counter of their seafood retail shop and restaurant, Bluewater Seafood.... [More]Providing sustainable seafood like the mackerel he’s holding, saysDavid, is just smart business for seafood purveyors. Photos byJonathan Welch [Less]>The menu at your favorite local sushi restaurant might as well offer the "endangered species roll." Not the best marketing, but here’sthe truth: Certain fish species commonly found on restaurant menusand in sushi coolers have been fished nearly to the brink of extinction. While you wouldn't dream of eating panda bear (wouldyou?), dining on bluefin tuna
toro
may not be so far off.The WWF (formerly the World Wildlife Fund) lists bluefin tuna asthe sixth most-threatened species in the world (of species in boththe sea or on land). That means that it's more at risk for extinctionthan the giant panda, the mountain gorilla or the Javan rhinoceros.So go ahead and order that rhino steak.We kid, but experts say that what consumers buyimpacts oceans in a more dramatic way than onemight expect. The first thing that crosses people'sminds when poring over a restaurant menu isn’tgenerally how endangered their dinner may or maynot be, even for those that consider themselvesconscious consumers.It helps to remember, however, that the seafoodindustry works for us, says David Griffin, who owns
Bluewater Seafood
, a seafood grocer andrestaurant with locations in both Hendersonville and north Asheville. What we eat caneither contribute to the further depletion of critically threatened species, or supportthe availability of more environmentally friendly options."Consumers control the market," he says. "If consumers decide that they don't wantto eat bluefin tuna anymore, it won't be caught anymore. This business is all aboutsupply and demand."
Finding solutions
What's a responsible diner to do? "Educate yourself," says Griffin. There aremany lists available, created in collaboration with biologists that help guideconsumers — the Monterey Bay Seafood Watch, Blue Ocean Institute and theNorth Carolina Sea Grant are some of the most reputable. "You have to look atall of them and be open-minded and use your best judgment to make goodchoices."
Aquaculture — or fish farming — is also a viable alternative, says Griffin. "It's the future of seafood."More and more items that Bluewater Seafood carries are farmed, often due to the lack of availability of the wild-caught alternatives. "And here in the mountains, we have a great farm-raisedtrout," he says.
Sunburst Trout Farm
offers one local source for the freshwater fish. The farm sits on the edge of the Pisgah National Forest in Bethel, 12 or so miles outside of Canton. The waters in which the troutare raised pass through the Shining Rock Wilderness watershed before emptying into Sunburst’sconcrete runways. The trout are fed an antioxidant-rich feed that gives the flesh of the fish a rosy-orange color — and makes the fish healthier for humans to eat, too.For Griffin, offering ocean-friendly options is as much a practical business technique as anythingelse. "This is how we make our living,” he says. “We want to make sure that it's going to be aroundto sustain us 20 years from now."
Guiding light
The Monterey Bay Aquarium's Seafood Watch program works to empower consumers and retailersto make smart choices, helping to ensure that seafood is available for 20 more years — andbeyond.The California aquarium’s “Fishing for Solutions” exhibit, opened in 1997 to inform visitors aboutconservation issues in fishing and aquaculture, was the catalyst that helped identify Monterey Bayas a respected resource for seafood information. While developing the exhibit, the aquariumevaluated the seafood it was serving in its own restaurants — and even to its exhibit animals. Theaquarium made a commitment to serve seafood from environmentally responsible sources, and inthe process developed an approved seafood list, which they updated frequently. Visitors asked for copies, and today the Seafood Watch guide is widely used.The emphasis on sustainable seafood led to the development of an annual gala celebration,"Cooking for Solutions." Since 2002, the aquarium and Seafood Watch have hosted the event,which brings together celebrity chefs from across the U.S. and beyond to prepare dishes usingsustainable seafood and organic ingredients, paired with organic and sustainable wines.Cooking demonstrations led by celebrity chefs are presented in the blue light of the aquarium, withschools of fish darting around their tanks behind them. Notable chef participants have included AliceWaters, Jacques Pépin, Rick Bayless, Nora Pouillon, Rick Moonen and more than three dozenothers. This year's participants included John Ash, an internationally renowned author, chef andeducator.
Top Chef
darling Carla Hall was there, too, along with the Food Network's Alton Brown —and Asheville's own William Dissen, the chef of
The Market Place
restaurant.Dissen's sustainable purchasing practices are no secret to the food world outside of Asheville. Hewas selected as one of the Mother Nature Network's "40 Chefs Under 40," a group recognized for both its talent and green practices. And this year, Dissen was nominated as a seafood-watchambassador by the Monterey Bay Aquarium.
A solution-oriented experience
It's no surprise that Dissen is dedicated to protecting the oceans. His wife, Jenny Dissen, works for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, based here in Asheville. "It's scary to talk toall of the PhDs over at NOAA," he says. "They preach fire and brimstone." What do they think of thepeople who insist that climate change is a myth, our oceans healthy? "They think that they'reinsane."For Dissen, it's a significant honor to be recognized as the champion of a cause that he holds dear,and gratifying to spend such an important weekend with some awe-inspiring chefs — some of
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