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Public Newsletter December 2010
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| Greetings |
Welcome to the FishWise Public Newsletter for December!
In this month's newsletter, we introduce our new Science Analyst - Oscar Zelaya.
Because a number of you asked for it, we have a short introduction to European Farmed Seabass (Bronzini).
We have an excellent summary of the Greenpeace - Oceans Advocates report, which highlights their work in recognizing seafood markets driving change towards sustainable oceans management.
Finally, the FishWise Partner spotlight falls on Sacramento Natural Foods Co-op and we offer Dungeness Crab and Striped Bass as our green "Best Choice" items of the month.
Please enjoy, and we'll see you in the New Year!
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| Introducing Oscar Zelaya - Our New Science Analyst | The FishWise team recently expanded to include a new Science Analyst - Oscar Zelaya Ph.D.
Originally from Honduras, Oscar holds a Ph.D. in Fisheries and Allied Aquaculture and an MBA degree from Auburn University.
As Science Analyst, Oscar produces scientific outputs related to sustainable seafood, standards, aquaculture reform and policy. He will also help provide science-based recommendations for our business partners, and interpret and inform international standards for sustainable aquaculture that frame supplier engagement policies.
Oscar has fourteen years of experience in aquaculture, having worked at the national and international level and with the many aquaculture systems utilized in commercial operations. His primary expertise is in some of the most important commercial species, namely shrimp, salmon and tilapia.
With advanced scientific knowledge and a strong background in seafood economics, Oscar will help FishWise develop supplier improvement plans that reduce environmental impacts while being financially sound.
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European Seabass (Bronzini) Species Summary
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The European Seabass (Dicentrarchus labrax), also known as bronzini, is native to the coastal waters of the Atlantic Ocean from the South of Norway to the Western Sahara and throughout the Mediterranean and Black Sea. They can reach a maximum size of around 32 inches and its delicate white flesh makes it a popular seafood option.
Although it can be caught in the wild, bronzini has become a popular aquaculture species because of its ability to thrive in seawater, brackish and fresh water. Wide scale production has existed since the 1980's and currently annual production sits at around 80,000 tonnes, the bulk of which comes from Greece, Turkey Italy, Spain, Croatia and Egypt.
There is currently no Seafood Watch ranking for bronzini, however, the demand for bronzini in the U.S is increasing. Demand is being met almost entirely by farmed product, so what are the sustainability issues?
In the wild, Bronzini are carnivorous feeders near the top of their food chain, subsisting mainly on other fish and crustaceans. As a result, the feed they are given in a farming scenario generally includes a high concentration of fishmeal and fish oil, which comes from wild sources. Additionally, bronzini exhibit high feed conversion ratios (up to 1.8:1 under ideal conditions) meaning for every 1.8 kilograms of food you give the bronzini, they will add 1 kilogram to their overall weight. This conversion rate is poor compared to sustainably farmed species such as U.S. barramundi, which has a feed conversion ratio of 1.1:1.
The production systems used to farm bronzini are not well suited to minimizing environmental impacts. Bronzini is farmed almost exclusively in open net pens, similar to salmon aquaculture. Net pen farming carries inherently high risks of fish escapes, disease transfer and pollution.
Because of their carnivorous nature and the uncontained aquaculture system used to farm them, bronzini should be sourced with caution. FishWise recommends purchasing more sustainable seabass species such farmed striped bass (see below) or Californian white seabass.
 | Photo Courtesy of Biomar
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| Greenpeace Oceans Advocates |
Following a scientific study in 2001, which stated that seafood catches had been declining globally since the 1980s, and the publishing of a book called 'The End of the Line' by British journalist Charles Clover in 2004, Greenpeace began to research the sustainability of seafood sold by UK retailers. They spent time in stores, on websites and meeting with many top UK retailers and then published their findings in 2005. The program was a huge success. Retailers acted to strengthen their seafood sourcing policies and the movement shifted to other areas of the industry too. The Greenpeace project has now spread far beyond its origins in the UK and is currently present in 19 other countries including the U.S. Greater transparency leads to more detailed labeling, which leads to more informed consumers. Consumers are beginning to learn that products previously labeled simply as 'whitefish' or 'tuna' can be a multitude of species from various corners of the globe. Often these new sustainable seafood policies come along with commitments to drop certain species considered at risk. Some of the most common species being removed from supermarkets globally are sharks, bluefin tuna, skates and rays. In the US and Canada, orange roughy and toothfish have widely been taken off the supermarket shelves, while in Austrian supermarkets yellowfin tuna has all but disappeared.
Loblaws, Canada's largest retail chain, sent a powerful message to consumers when they developed their sustainable seafood policy. To ensure their customers understood the policy, at selected stores across Canada they left sections of their seafood case empty. These were spaces where species such as orange roughy, toothfish, shark and skate were once displayed. In the place of these fish was a sign saying that the fish were not available because they were 'at risk'.
The efforts FishWise members have made to source seafood responsibly have had multiple knock-on effects from accelerating policy change to ensuring sustainable futures for fish producing nations. Thanks to Greenpeace's sustainable seafood project our members are able to compare themselves against others in the nation and distinguish themselves as some of the most sustainable seafood vendors in the country.
Follow this link to download the full report.
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FishWise Partner Spotlight - Sacramento Natural Foods Co-op
|  Since its beginnings as a food buying club in 1972, Sacramento Natural Foods Co-op has had one overarching purpose, to be a trusted source of natural foods and products, and a reliable resource for consumer information. They have been a FishWise Retail Partner since 2005 and continue to advance the sustainable seafood movement thanks to enthusiastic staff and engaged customers.
Since 2006, Sacramento Natural Foods Co-op has not carried any red-listed (unsustainable) seafood in its fresh case, a practice that FishWise is highly supportive of.
Mariah and William recently visited the store to meet with Meat Manager, Robert Duncan and Marketing Assistant Manager, Julia Thomas, to discuss all things sustainable seafood. Mariah and William were both highly impressed by the genuine interest expressed by Robert and Julia and the depth of knowledge that they both possessed.
FishWise has been invited to a staff luncheon (they have one every month) early next year to help staff learn more about seafood's journey from the producer to their customers' tables. We will also be participating in an event for the public with a seafood tasting and cooking demo.
FishWise applauds the ongoing efforts of Sacramento Natural Foods in advancing the sustainable seafood movement.
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Promote Sustainable Seafood: Dungeness Crab and Striped Bass
| This month we feature Dungeness Crab and Farmed Striped Bass. Both green-ranked "Best Choice" species according to the Monterey Bay Aquarium's Seafood Watch Program.
Dungeness crab are unique to the West Coast of North America, and reportedly take their name from a small fishing community on the straight of Juan de Fuca in Washington State. Dungeness meat is known for its sweet taste and delicate texture, perfect for adding to pasta or enjoyed with a squirt of lemon and some mayonnaise.
 Striped bass are the largest member of the sea bass family and are characterized by their greenish backs and white bellies with seven or eight horizontal stripes on each side of the body. Striped bass are well suited to close-containment aquaculture and possesses meat that is very lean and mild flavored with a firm texture perfect for a variety of cooking methods.
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If you have any questions, comments, or would like to contribute to the FishWise monthly update so other members can hear about your experience, please don't hesitate to contact me!
Sincerely,
William Wall
Business Program Manager
FishWise
Office: 831.427.1707
Email: b.wall@fishwise.org
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