A safety net for fish

As seafood has become a greater part of the American diet - so good for the brain, so many omega-3 fatty acids! - that means paying attention to the issues of overfishing, polluted waters, and mercury poisoning.

The sustainability tide, it seems, is turning. Chefs, cookbook authors, even restaurant chains like Long John Silver's are committing to improving the sustainability of the world's fish.

Greenpeace recently gave a passing grade to market chains including Target, Whole Foods, and Ahold USA for their environmentally sound seafood purchasing practices.

Amanda Brossard, a onetime biologist with the Department of Fish and Game in Alaska, and her husband, Alaska fisherman Murat Aritan, opened Otolith, a sustainable seafood store in Northern Liberties in July, translating their expertise into a business they believe in. Aritan still travels back to Alaska to fish a few months a year and eventually hopes to sell his catch at the store. At the moment, they are selling all Alaskan fish from other fishermen and small processors.

"We're seeing lots of customers coming into our store who just don't want to be part of the problem," says Brossard.

Restaurant diners have grown more vocal about their seafood choices and their impact on the environment. "Over the last couple of years, I've seen the demand grow among customers who are looking for sustainable fish," says Michael Stollenwerk, chef/owner of Little Fish in Queen Village, where all the seafood on the menu is sustainably sourced and most is certified by the Marine Stewardship Council, a leading eco-labeling program for fish and shellfish in supermarkets and restaurants.

Yet even the best intentions are sometimes not enough to produce the right decisions. When it comes to tracking down sustainable seafood, it can be exceedingly difficult to navigate the swirl of information: What species of fish? Where does it come from? Line-caught or bottom-trawled? Wild or farmed? Trap-caught or aquaculture?

"We've all had our head in the sand for some time and there's a lot of confusion in the marketplace," says James MacKnight, owner of River & Glen, a sustainable foods purveyor based in Warminster, Bucks County.

River & Glen supplies seafood to high-end restaurants including Lacroix and the Four Seasons, and operates a retail arm that sells products online.

MacKnight, who grew up fishing in Scotland and selling salmon to local pubs, says that a major component of his mission is educating customers - from chefs and servers to home cooks - about the issues.

MacKnight offers local and East Coast products, like oysters and cod, whenever possible. But he justifies the carbon miles his products travel, explaining why so much of his fish comes from Alaska: "Those fisheries are without a doubt at the forefront of sustainability, from the quality of the water to the fishing practices to the fishery management ethos. The fish are allowed to replenish and there are strict quotas for when and how much a boat can take."

He recommends that consumers start their education with the Monterey Bay Aquarium's Seafood Watch Program. With its continually updated rating system, Seafood Watch offers one of the best and most widely used educational resources, and it's available in book, pocket guide, and most recently, mobile phone application form. When faced with a decision between Atlantic cod and, say, red snapper, a diner can reference the program's rating (best choice, good alternative, avoid) and quick facts about scarcity and fishing methods at the touch of an iPhone.

Newbie seafood watchers can start with some basic rules of thumb. Experts agree that certain fish, at least for the time being, are a no-no, even if they continue to appear on restaurant menus.

These include onetime staples like swordfish, monkfish and skate. Chilean sea bass, lovely though it may be, is an untenable choice. Atlantic cod likewise is to be avoided; line-caught Pacific cod is a better alternative.

On the other hand, diners can be reasonably certain that short-lived and quickly reproducing species like clams, squid, mussels, and shrimp are good choices. Otolith sells spot prawns, a Pacific coast delicacy trap-caught in what is considered the most ecologically sound shrimp fishery in the United States. Domestically farmed tilapia cultivated in closed-system freshwater ponds is also a recommended option.

Another approach to eating more sustainably is cultivating a taste for more plentiful species like mackerel, sardines and sablefish (black cod), all labeled "best choice" by Seafood Watch. The win-win with these fish is that not only are they abundant at sea but they all contain high amounts of heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids. Mackerel and sable come from exceedingly clean, far-offshore waters. Sardines have the added bonus of B vitamins, iron, magnesium, phosphorus and many other minerals, making them a nutritionist's dream food.

American diners tend to shy away from these fish because they have a stronger flavor and their oily texture can be off-putting to a flounder-trained palate. Sometimes, though, it's a matter of finding the right preparation that complements their intensity. "Many of these strong-flavored fish work best when fried or paired with stronger-flavor sauces like mustard," Stollenwerk of Little Fish says.

For instance, rich, earthy mackerel can be roasted in nutty miso paste and mashed into a patelike spread for crackers. Fresh whole sardines can be battered in chickpea and rice flour, cumin and cayenne and deep-fried in peanut oil. Served as Indian fritters, they pair nicely with a spicy cilantro chutney.

Less exotic but equally conscientious options abound in the form of farmed arctic char, catfish and American rainbow trout. Just about any of the above can be diced to form fish burgers or croquettes in place of tuna and salmon.

Simply substituting another fish for the usual cod or halibut fillet can make for a more sustainable meal while introducing intriguing new flavors to the table. At Little Fish, Stollenwerk serves skin-on fillets of mild Japanese black bass (suzuki), with sauteed butternut squash, brussels sprout leaves, and slivers of bacon. He embellishes the plate with finely shaved tart green apple and a touch of shallot cream sauce.

What's more, there's no need to give up well-loved fish like salmon, halibut, and cod if sustainable products are close at hand.

At Otolith, owners Aritan and Brossard count among their offerings line-caught Pacific cod, Alaskan wild-caught salmon, and a canned sockeye salmon that's pressure-cooked and processed in a small Alaskan plant.

Otolith guarantees sustainability through its owners' high standards for harvest method, fishery management, and distribution. "We're not anti-broker, but there's a lot of bundling in seafood distribution and we think it's very important to know where your seafood is coming from," Brossard says, adding that as a consumer, she would not rely on the Seafood Watch guide alone.

River & Glen also sells wild Alaskan salmon, Pacific halibut, true Blue Point oysters, and black cod. For MacKnight, who spent much of his childhood fishing from the river and selling his catch to chefs in his small town, the relationships among purveyor, fisherman, and chef or consumer are key to ensuring a quality product and staying true to his commitment to people, planet and profits.