Our Endangered Coastal Fishery

[jamiemaw]

And re your point about farmed salmon not being significantly less expensive than wild, my thin knowledge of the specifc topic at hand is revealed.  I agree, I may well retract that statement once I become better educated about it.  And better educated I shall become, I can promise you that.

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As at April 9th, supply and prices at Granville Island, quoted by Dave Moorehead of Longliner Seafoods, were:

Most of the wild Spring (King) salmon is coming via reefer from Oregon. Moorehead estimates about a 48-hour turnaround. Sockeye in April is local-FAS (frozen at sea). There is no shame in FAS, as long as you admire the ‘quick-freeze, slow-thaw principle’; it’s barely indistinguishable from fresh product if properly handled.

Pricing:

Wild Spring at CDN $11 per pound (US $8.99)

FAS Sockeye $7.50 per pound (US $6.14)

In the summer, these prices will drop as local salmon comes to market. According to Moorehead, that fish will usually be less than 24 hours old by the time it hits the ice at Longliner and may even still be in rigor mortis. Some of the northern river-run salmon is brought live to market.

Like a growing number of responsible fishmongers, Moorhead stopped selling farmed product some time ago. But it is currently selling in the range of $6 to $7 per pound (US $5.72), slightly less than FAS sockeye.

So the decision is a relatively easy one: With a little foresight, budget salmon-lovers can order FAS product for pennies more per serving than farmed and thaw it slowly in the refrigerator.

Edited May 3, 2005 by jamiemaw (log)

[seanw]

Daddy A,

Everything is connected! Why do you think the guy is in BC, he braved the big bad world, learned from it, & is now here studying another sad story in the making. C'mon Salmon are Salmon wherever they are......so relevant

[Mooshmouse]

Since we were too late to get a last-minute dinner reso at either Hapa or Guu, we decided to check out Black Tuna (on Denman at Davie, upstairs beside Won More and Pacific Crab Co.) with a couple of friends on Friday evening. Parking was hell, every eating establishment on Denman was absolutely slammed, so I was more than happy just to park my butt in a restaurant seat.

Imagine my absolute horror and disgust to find that they were offering both Seabass and Bluefin Tuna as menu items. Though they didn't specify whether the seabass was Chilean, I figured I'd be correct in guessing yes.

T'was the first and last time I'll ever dine there.

[butter]

Imagine my absolute horror and disgust to find that they were offering both Seabass and Bluefin Tuna as menu items.  Though they didn't specify whether the seabass was Chilean, I figured I'd be correct in guessing yes.

T'was the first and last time I'll ever dine there.

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I'm not surprised at all. Am curious to know what you did eat there? How was it?

[Mooshmouse]

After seeing Seabass and Bluefin on the menu, I blanked on any dining notes as I knew I wouldn't be dining there again. Nonetheless, Ian and I shared some hotate (scallop) and toro (fatty tuna) nigiri sushi. A roll with salmon, spicy scallop and, I believe, avocado... one of several rather creative rolled sushi offerings. Mini negitoro cones. And we ordered a dish similar to Tuna Tataki that never arrived -- the name escapes me just now, but it was described on the menu as being served with some kind of garlic sauce.

Ian enjoyed the food that we sampled, but I was quite put off by the fact that it took more than 45 minutes for the first menu item to arrive. Only two FOH staff from what I could see, and the kitchen certainly wasn't expediting. Our server brought us an 'amuse-bouche' of grilled mackerel; however, there was only one tiny piece between the four of us rather than one per couple. After about 35 minutes had passed, our server brought us 'complimentary' bowls of miso soup and apologized for the wait. 10 minutes after that, our friends' first dish materialized, but it was another 10 minutes before Ian and I got our first plate. Thoroughly unimpressive.

[nwyles]

After seeing Seabass and Bluefin on the menu, I blanked on any dining notes as I knew I wouldn't be dining there again.  Nonetheless, Ian and I shared some hotate (scallop) and toro (fatty tuna) nigiri sushi.  A roll with salmon, spicy scallop and, I believe, avocado... one of several rather creative rolled sushi offerings.  Mini negitoro cones.  And we ordered a dish similar to Tuna Tataki that never arrived -- the name escapes me just now, but it was described on the menu as being served with some kind of garlic sauce.

Ian enjoyed the food that we sampled, but I was quite put off by the fact that it took more than 45 minutes for the first menu item to arrive.  Only two FOH staff from what I could see, and the kitchen certainly wasn't expediting.  Our server brought us an 'amuse-bouche' of grilled mackerel; however, there was only one tiny piece between the four of us rather than one per couple.  After about 35 minutes had passed, our server brought us 'complimentary' bowls of miso soup and apologized for the wait.  10 minutes after that, our friends' first dish materialized, but it was another 10 minutes before Ian and I got our first plate.  Thoroughly unimpressive.

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Goat Rodeo !

Train Wreck !

It happens. It has happened here ( ok, not that bad )

Give it a second go - in about a year !

N

[Mooshmouse]

Goat Rodeo !

It happens. It has happened here ( ok, not that bad )

Give it a second go - in about a year !

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"Goat Rodeo" is one of the funniest terms I've ever heard... cracks me up every damn time you use it!

Sure, sure, every restaurant has the occasional train wreck of a night, even yours. But your happy establishment doesn't serve Blue Whale Steaks or Okapi Stew. I'll be thinking twice about that second go.

[nwyles]

Goat Rodeo !

It happens. It has happened here ( ok, not that bad )

Give it a second go - in about a year !

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"Goat Rodeo" is one of the funniest terms I've ever heard... cracks me up every damn time you use it!

Sure, sure, every restaurant has the occasional train wreck of a night, even yours. But your happy establishment doesn't serve Blue Whale Steaks or Okapi Stew. I'll be thinking twice about that second go.

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Not everyone is as educated or environmentally aware as we are !

Hell, up until a few years ago, I was serving Chilean Seabass and Swordfish. I did not know any better. It could be worse - They could be serving Spotted Owl soup or Braised Giant Panda feet.

Give them a call and let them know how it went. I always encourage second chances as I would always want a second chance if we screwed up. They were aware enough to say sorry and send out an "amuse", but perhaps did not have it going on enough to figure out that the train had come off the rails for you.

[Daddy-A]

Again, without any non-biased opinions from either side, all we can rely on is the only empirical data source we have access to, the market price, and it unequivicably states that there is no crisis in delicious braised in tomato and caper swordfish.

Or you can join us at The C Sustainability Luncheon and hear from the other side.

And now a word from the forum host ...

This thread is straying OT. Discussion of the swordfish for example falls outside the definition of "our coast fisheries" unless things have changed. I've moved a number of posts over to this thread in General Foods HERE. Discussion in this thread needs to be specific to this region. Let's get ou t there and share this brain-trust with the world!

I return you now to your regularly scheduled thread ...

A.