Sustainable fish
The winter edition of City Food News looked at the issue of fish; here is a quick update on what has happened since then. During 2011 there have been a number of high profile national campaigns about sustainable fishing practices including pressure to stop the use of destructive fish aggregation devices (FADs) used in the catching of tuna. FADs destroy marine life indiscriminately and campaigns have created unprecedented industry shifts. The entire UK tinned tuna industry is now phasing out FADs. Sainsbury’s, Marks & Spencer and Waitrose already source 100% of their tuna from pole and line, while Tesco have committed to the same by the end of 2012. Morrisons, Co-Op, Princes and Asda are going 100% FAD-free and Pole & Line by the end of 2014. Finally, John West (who produce one third of the tinned tuna sold in the UK) will match their peers’ commitments by the end of 2016. Greenpeace (who led on the campaign) have committed to monitoring the UK’s tinned tuna brands to ensure they keep their promises. Whilst this is great news, it is worth
remembering that tuna is one of the most overfished species and although a traditional favourite, people should aim to reduce the overall amount of Tuna eaten. Also until 2016 it is important to keep checking your tins to ensure that the fish you are eating is caught by pole and line. You may remember the Fish Fight
campaign also highlighted the issue of fish discards, drawing attention to the fact that half of the fish caught in the North Sea are thrown back dead
because of the EU Fisheries policy. Public pressure has led to the inclusions of proposals to end discards in the review of EU Fisheries Policy. Speaking on behalf of the Fish Fight Campaign Hugh Fearnley- Whittingstall says: “I’m very happy
to see that the proposal specifically includes measures to end discards. It’s not perfect but it’s a brave step in the right direction and we should applaud Commissioner Damanaki for ensuring discards are firmly on the agenda. I really believe this wouldn’t have happened without all your fantastic support.” To keep up date
with the Fish Fight campaign:
www.fishfight.net Locally the
Food Partnership wants to keep the issue of sustainable fish on the agenda and will continue to work to stop
the consumption of fish from badly managed stocks or caught with damaging fishing methods. If you are interested in volunteering with us on this work please get in touch.
Alternative fish to eat
John Price a local fisherman and Brighton resident got in touch with us about encouraging people to remember that fish is a local food – so we asked him to let us know what is plentiful off our coast that we just aren’t making the most of. “The same fish still swim in the sea, all that
changes is what makes a particular species popular. Rick Stein has done wonders for driving the cost of monkfish tails out of reach for most people. They are a fantastic food, but 30 years ago, I couldn’t give them away. Sprats, now that’s another neglected fish, but it is getting more popular despite being ignored by the TV chefs. A kilo of Sprats with a crusty loaf and a few bottles of wine will feed 5 people. Dust the sprats in flour and paprika and fry in a dry pan for two minutes each side. Leave their heads and tails on. Mussels too are a great food and the really good bit is that living in Brighton, you can go down to the beach east of the marina and collect your own, and it’s all free. Like growing your own vegetables it takes a little effort but the reward of fresh seafood is worth it. Try it; you will be amazed.”
Forgotten fish – Sprats Sprats come from the herring family, they’re about
6-7cm long and generally need simple cooking, such as coating in milk and flour and deep-frying. You can leave the heads on or, if they’re bigger, cut them off, run your finger down their stomachs and open them into butterfly shapes.
Local fish – Mussels Mussels are cheap and plentiful. In the wild, they grow
on coastline rocks and stones but they are also farmed. Mussels are one of the most environmentally sound types of shellfish available. Wash the mussels under cold running water in a sink, removing any beards and barnacles. Do not scrub the shells as the colour will transfer during cooking giving an unappetising grey appearance to the dish. Discard any mussels that have cracked shells, float or remain open when tapped. Place on stove in a large pan with a small amount of liquid, as soon as they are open they are ready.
6 city food news
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20