The West Coast’s Dungeness crab fishery is encountering one of the biggest sustainability issues ever: the fishery entangled more than 22 whales in 2016, contributing to a record-breaking 71 whale entanglements on the West Coast alone. This number breaks the record for whale entanglements for the third straight year.

This information, released recently by the National Marine Fisheries Service, is cause for alarm, according to experts. Ryan Bigelow, Program Engagement Manager for the Seafood Watch program at the Monterey Bay Aquarium, notes that the Dungeness crab fishery has received a red bycatch score from the program due to its connection with issues of whale entanglement.

Whale entanglement is a significant problem when it comes to the safety, wellbeing, and survival of the often endangered whale species who are concerned. Whales can suffer slow, painful deaths due to starvation, dehydration, or trouble breathing when entangled in fishing lines and pots used to catch Dungeness crabs.

“Endangered whales don’t have the resilience to fight through Dungeness crab pots during another year of record-breaking entanglements,” says Catherine Kilduff, senior attorney for the Center for Biological Diversity. “We need to stop the entanglements before it’s too late.”

Unfortunately, this is not a problem limited to the Dungeness crab industry. The global estimate for cetacean entanglement resulting in deaths is approximately 308,000 per year. In addition, studies carried out on the East Coast showed that approximately 80 percent of the right whale population and 55 to 60 percent of the humpback population has been entangled at least once in their life, based on observed scarring on these populations, with 20 percent of animals getting new wounds from this equipment every year.

But with the Dungeness crab fishery showing even more entanglements than the average, something has to be done.

Experts claim that the primary problem with this fishery is that there are too many Dungeness crab lines in the ocean.

“This is one of the most profitable, highest-revenue fisheries in the state, which means that there’s a lot of competition to put more and more traps in the water,” explains Kilduff. “And that means that the whales are more and more at risk of getting entangled.”

Solving the Problem of the Dungeness Crab Fishery

While the fishery is showing more entanglements than any other, experts also say that this isn’t any reason to stop supporting the Dungeness crab fishery.

David Mattila of the International Whaling Commission explains that if experts were to ask people to boycott the fishery, the problem could actually get worse.

“What happens is you automatically set up an adversarial relationship,” he explains. Fishermen might be less likely to report entangled whales, thus lowering the perceived statistics of entanglements without actually solving the problem.

Instead, experts recommend that we encourage Dungeness crab fishermen to work with conservation efforts to solve this problem.

“The only way to really solve this problem in a socially and societally equitable or balanced way is to work with the fishermen,” explains Mattila. “Because they’re the ones who know the kinds of things that they can do to change their fishing, if they’re motivated.”

“I think that there’s pretty low-hanging fruit in terms of changes that the fishery could make for instantaneous results in terms of lowering the number of whales that are caught,” explains Kilduff.

One of these solutions would be to encourage fishermen to communicate where they place their traps. This information could then be cross-referenced with known migration routes of whales, allowing experts to recommend modifications that would keep crab traps away from whale populations altogether.

“This requires a little bit of a mind shift for the fishermen, who are very protective of their knowledge about the ocean and about where Dungeness crabs are,” explains Kilduff.

Luckily, most fishermen are more than happy to contribute to this, at least in Mattila’s experience.

“The fishermen don’t want this to happen,” he explains. “All of the fishermen that I’ve talked to do care about the whales, but even if they didn’t, it’s damage to their gear, it’s down-time for fishing, it’s a real headache.”

New technology is being developed to help give fishermen even more tools to contribute to the improvement of the sustainability of this fishery. In 2016, a best practices guide was developed, highlighting modifications like adjustments in trap line lengths and limits on the amount of line between the main buoy and the trailer buoy that could reduce the likelihood of whale entanglements.

A few new developments, like remote sensing technology that can indicate where whales are, due to sea surface temperature or the presence of krill, could also be put into place.

Matilla even cites an Australian technique developed to fish for expensive lobster that involves a remotely released trap with no line at all.

“I think we just need to bring fisheries’ management into this century and say, ‘We have to fish smarter, not harder,’” says Kilduff.

To do this, however, the state of California needs more funds devoted to the protection of this wildlife: the Australian remote trap equipment, for example, is much more expensive than the equipment that Dungeness crab fishermen are currently using.

And that’s where we come in.

The Center for Biological Diversity has created a petition addressing both the state of California, asking it to devote more resources to this issue, and the National Marine Fishing Service, requesting their help in putting some of these solutions into place. With their help, we may soon be able to drastically reduce the number of whales that are endangered by the Dungeness crab fishery.

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You can tell a food trend is catching on in cities and countries that draw foodies, but what’s hot in France is destined to be a trend leader. The trend of the day: small, sustainable fish like sardines.

After 11 years of experience at some of the best Parisian tables, including L’Arc Paris and Atelier Robuchon, Chef Antony Germani has decided return to his hometown, the port city of Marseille, to highlight a small yet hugely sustainable protein powerhouse: the sardine. Sard’In, which opened in June, is the first sardine bar in the world.

After over a decade in the capital, Marseille’s prodigal son knew he missed the south, but he also knew that he could only return with a specific project in mind, a project, he said, that needed to be able to be fleshed out quickly and inexpensively. The idea of a sardine bar, serving a variety of high-end canned sardines in simple recipes, came easily.

At first, canned sardines might seem like anything but the trendy star of a new restaurant, but Germani was determined to change their reputation. “I like canned sardines, because they’re often associated with malbouffe (junk food) or products of mediocre quality, but when you add a really fresh product, the can takes care of the rest,” he says of the star of his menu. “It keeps it for years — all the flavors and finesse of the products, and it even gets better with time, like a good wine.”

Germani’s interest in sardines comes in the wake of many chefs becoming interested in smaller fish, fish that have been ignored by big-name chefs for years. Just recently, 20 all-star chefs united to highlight ways to serve the “perfect protein” in their restaurants, mainly due to the ecological impact of such a decision, an impact that isn’t lost on Germani.

“The ecological impact is enormous,” he says. “Canned sardines allow us to respect different fishing seasons. We have to consume less fish and meat, that’s obvious nowadays. The omega 3, phosphorous and vitamin B3 content in a can of sardines is extraordinary, especially compared to other fish. Eating two cans of sardines a week can allow us to consume less fresh fish and, above all, to leave other more sensitive varieties (in the water).”

The choice of sardine did not come out of nowhere for this Marseille native. Sardines have long been at home in this port city, though, as Germani learned, this is no longer truly the case. Because of overfishing, sardines became smaller and smaller, and in Marseille, it was decided to stop canning them to allow them to regenerate in the Mediterranean waters.

“The actual canned sardines we’re consuming, called ‘Marseillais sardines,’ are actually Atlantic sardines,” he says. “But we appreciated the frankness of the fishermen and the different canning facilities that take responsibility and are aware of the dangers towards Mediterranean sardines,” Germani says, saying that it will be five years before true Mediterranean sardines can be fished and canned again.

“They’re a strong species, and they regenerate fairly quickly as compared to others,” he says.

This is one of the many reasons that Germani does not sell only French sardines in his bar, which will offer all sorts of high-end canned sardines, a combination of high-end gourmet boutique and restaurant. Simplicity and flavor are on the menu here, but so is the entirety off the Mediterranean.

“I got informed. I traveled. I went to Spain, to Portugal, to Tunisia and in France and met with conserveries who still respect the fishing methods, and I met passionate people who are, above all, lovers of sardines, like me,” he says.

And that’s his key clientele as well: people who love sardines enough to see them — and even, occasionally, their cans — on their plates.

“Canned sardines allow me to have 0% waste in the products that I sell and cook with, and that’s what interested me,” he says. “I hate throwing anything away or wasting anything.”

Chef Germani is currently working with Foodraising, a French food-based crowdfunding platform. If he raises his goal of 5,000 euros, he will be able to expand his current shop and possibly open other locations in Paris, Lyon, and, qui sait, further afield.

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Is fish oil really beneficial, safe and environmentally friendly?

Depending upon whom you ask, fish oil is both wonder supplement and health menace. It protects against heart disease, but it can contain mercury. It’s linked to lower risk of breast cancer and diabetes, but it can be contaminated with PCBs. Fish oil is fraught with contradiction, and we haven’t even had dessert yet.

As the number one, most-purchased health supplement even over multivitamins, fish oil flies off shelves around the world for that greasy substance procured from the flesh of cold-water fish like sardines, anchovies and herring. Hailed as the best natural source of omega-3 fatty acids DHA and EPA, these vital substances are necessary supplements our bodies can’t synthesize on their own.

These long-chain essential fatty acids work wonders on our health. We’ve known for years that fish oil promotes heart health, but recent studies seem to crown it king of all health tonics – it may lower the risk of developing breast cancer or diabetes, protect against blindness and even aid in the treatment of mental disorders. Beyond that, it’s considered to be possibly effective for high blood pressure, rheumatoid arthritis, menstrual pain, kidney problems and a host of other health issues.

But for every study touting the miraculous effects of fish oil, there’s another warning of hidden dangers in the form of toxic contaminants. The presence of mercury in seafood is a well-known concern, and a lawsuit filed in 2010 against eight popular fish oil supplement manufacturers alleges unsafe levels of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), which are carcinogenic.

Then there’s the sustainability issue: we can’t ignore the fact that fish populations are plummeting around the world due to overfishing and environmental contamination. Are we contributing to this problem when we buy fish oil?

Google all of these issues and it’s easy to see that straight answers aren’t easy to come by.  But among all the studies, recommendations, glowing reviews and dire warnings, a few things seem clear:

Worldwide medical bodies agree that benefits outweigh the risks. They key is moderation; most people don’t need more than 500 milligrams per day. Warnings about mercury content in fish are aimed at high-risk groups like pregnant women, young children and the elderly. Plus, mercury is more often found in large, predatory fish – not the small fish used to produce fish oil.

Some brands of fish oil are healthier and more sustainable than others. The Environmental Defense Fund has a handy color-coded guide to fish oil supplements indicating which brands conform to the strictest standards for safe levels of contaminants. Look for supplements made from 100% wild fish, which contain fewer contaminants than those made with farmed fish. You can check the sustainability of particular fisheries at fishsource.org and the WWF.

Eating whole fish may be more effective than taking fish oil supplements. Most dietitians recommend getting vitamins, minerals and essential fatty acids from nutritious whole foods – including fish. One study comparing absorption of omega-3’s in fish oil versus whole fish over six weeks found that levels of DHA were nine times higher in those who ate the fish. The Environmental Defense Fund has a chart listing fish that are both high in omega-3 fatty acids, low in environmental contaminants and easy on the environment.

Plant-based sources of omega-3’s are available, but may be less effective. Flax seed, walnuts, spinach and other ‘green’ sources of omega-3’s contain short-chain fatty acids, which must undergo a relatively inefficient conversion process in our bodies. Marine-based omega-3’s are more potent, but some people – especially vegetarians – may prefer the veggie source nonetheless.

Image: vintagedept

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We’ve been trolling around for news and netted some doozies. From fish oil, to updated Seafood Watch recommendations, here’s a sampler platter of recent food news morsels.

Restaurant Greenwashers: We are watching you

Developed by intrepid journalist Charles Clover, who brought us the film End of the Line, Fish to Fork is a spanking new online rating system and interactive website that rates restaurants according to their seafood sourcing policies.

You may be surprised by what you find. There’s a lot of assuming going on out there and I’m guilty, too. Just because your favorite tower of gastronomy serves artisan meats and organic produce from local farms doesn’t mean you can assume their seafood sourcing policies are anything to brag about. And yes, it’s pretty disturbing that there is a restaurant named Bluefin on the list. It reminds me of the subdivisions all over California named after the orchards that once stood in their places.

You can send in information about any restaurant you frequent as well, making Fish to Fork a growing and valuable resource.

Fish Oil Is a Fishy Business

As part of your resolution to eat more sustainably, you’ve downloaded those little seafood wallet cards and now you carry them around and refer to them religiously at the fish counter and in restaurants. Good for you!

You may also have stopped eating certain types of fish due to overfishing concerns and begun taking fish oil pills instead. Whoa there, Nellie! Do you know where that fish oil comes from? There’s no wallet card for that, now is there?

Recently, Time Magazine reported on a little known fish called menhaden that is being overfished for the burgeoning fish oil supplement market. Fish oil contains omega-3 fatty acids, which are good for the heart, brain, joints, and other important body parts.

Though menhaden is a tiny fish, it is nonetheless important for two reasons: It’s a source of food for larger predators (many of which are already endangered) and it’s a filter feeder. It eats algae and can help prevent dead zones caused by algae blooms. Scientists have been working on algae-based Omega-3 supplements that have the same properties as fish oil. It’s my understanding that they don’t have all the same components. My advice: Eat more sardines.

New Salmon and Shrimp Rankings from Seafood Watch

Monterey Bay Aquarium’s Seafood Watch Program released new wallet cards this month and there are some important changes you should know about.

If you’ve diligently given up farmed salmon and shrimp due to environmental concerns, you might be happy to know that a certain type of farmed shrimp and a specific type of farmed salmon have been added to the “Green List.”

Responsible aquaculturists have been working hard to improve their practices and the new rankings are proof. US Farmed freshwater Coho salmon is now produced in closed systems that don’t pollute the environment and producers have gotten the feed ratio down to a point that is acceptable to scientists.

Similarly, U.S. farmed freshwater prawns are raised in small-scale operations inland where they cannot escape or pollute the ocean environment. The prawns consume plants and insects rather than large amounts of fish and the water is recirculated for extra green points.

But you still have to do the hard, dirty work of asking questions. Make sure you ask your server or fishmonger if the salmon or shrimp you’re ordering is US freshwater farmed and make sure the salmon is Coho. If you ask those questions and the answer is no, and then you don’t order it, restaurant and store owners will take notice. Remember your power as a consumer.

Pressing the Flesh

You know that pink stuff called krab that you find in cheap sushi? What about fish sticks? Did you ever wonder what that was? It’s pollock, most likely. And pollock is having the certification equivalent of an existential crisis.

On the one hand, The Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) has just recertified pollock the pollock fishery as sustainable. On the other hand, the Seafood Watch program has downgraded it from “green” (Best Choice) to “yellow” (Caution). Seafood watch is concerned about bycatch and damage to the ocean floor caused by the fishing methods used.

What should you do? Think about what you’re eating. If you’re going to eat fish, know what it is and appreciate it. Wild foods like fish should not be turned into protein pucks and eaten mindlessly.

Image: SauceSupreme

This is the latest installment in Vanessa Barrington’s weekly column, The Green Plate, on the environmental, social, and political issues related to what and how we eat.

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Called “the Inconvenient Truth” for the oceans, The End of the Line asks viewers to imagine a world without fish and then proceeds to show them exactly how commercial fisheries are decimating hundreds of wild species that we take for granted as food.

This is the film for people who don’t respond to dry, measured environmental messaging focusing on intangible future effects of current fishing practices. This film uses powerful footage and dramatic music to punch the viewer where it hurts: in the stomach.

The film asks viewers: if you like that fish and chips dinner, or that succulent tuna sushi, or watching your children play in the surf without worrying that the water will cause open sores on their delicate skin, or perhaps enjoying a little snorkeling on your annual vacation, you better sit up and pay attention – now.

In addition to the usually documentary tools – graphs, charts, statistics, and scientists explaining the effects of overfishing – the film is full of exciting, cinematic moments of man (and they are men) vs. fish. Knives flashing and nets heaving in the blood soaked waters of the Mediterranean, as fish are literally beaten to death. It’s gruesome, to be sure, and effective.

There’s also plenty of nourishment for the brain in the form of statistics illustrating just how much fish is caught and eaten worldwide:

Did you know?

The number of long lines set globally every year is enough to circle the globe more than 550 times.

1/10 of what we catch goes overboard every year as waste.

It takes 5 kilos of anchovies to produce 1 kilo of farmed salmon. This practice takes protein directly out of the mouths of poor people in distant countries that depend on this fish for their nourishment – all so middle class people can treat salmon as an everyday commodity food, instead of as the special treat it should be.

The 4,000 ocean reserves that exist cover less than 1% of the ocean.

Bluefin tuna quotas are double what they should be to avoid collapse and triple what they should be to allow a recovery. Even these quotas are ignored. The bluefin situation is so dire that the Japanese company Mitsubishi is stockpiling frozen bluefin in preparation for a collapse.

One bluefin fisherman-turned-whistleblower hangs out on the docks and estimates catches and compares them to what is declared by countries.

He illustrates the crushing immorality of the situation by declaring: “An infamous minority of people are making millions and millions of dollars by decimating a species.”

And it’s definitely just a few people making money. The filmmakers profile artisanal, traditional fisherman who are being squeezed out by the big boats. One fisherman in Africa made $6 from his catch on the day that the filmmakers spoke to him. $4 of those $6 must go to fuel. He has $2 left to feed his family. He’s considering leaving Africa to immigrate to Europe.

If all of this sounds like a downer, it is. But I think it’s necessary to shock some people to get their attention. The best part of the film is the point it makes that, unlike many environmental problems, this problem is eminently solvable. We just need to give the fishing stocks a break and allow them to recover.

All the problem requires is political will and the cooperation of consumers, industry, and governments. We can collectively set quotas and enforce them, we can get restaurants and grocery stores to stop selling overfished species, and we can change our eating habits.

We can eat more tiny fish (they are better for you anyway!), follow the recommendations of the various NGOS like Seafood Watch and Blue Ocean Institute, and we can return to treating wild fish with the reverence it deserves as one of the last wild foods available to humans.

Debuting at the 2009 Sundance Film Festival and playing in hundreds of cinemas, aquariums, and universities across the U.S. and the United Kingdom, this film by Rupert Murray was based on the book by award winning British journalist Charles Clover. Screenings are being scheduled in North America at a variety of colleges, and special venues. There’s also a Fish “˜n Flicks restaurant screening tour taking place between Jan. 10 and 24 in and around New York, Washington D.C., San Francisco, Chicago and San Diego. The general North American screening schedule is here.

Check back often for updates, as dates and participating restaurants in the Fish “˜n Flicks tour are still being finalized. A few highlights: Yankee Pier in Lafayette, Calif. on Jan 12, Sea Rocket Bistro in San Diego on January 14, Blue Ridge in Washington D.C. on January 15, Fishtail in New York on January 18, Oliveto in Oakland, Calif. on January 20 and 21.

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