Time for a nice dish of sustainable fish

Think Fish Week, from 25 September to 1 October 2017, is all about making consumers aware of their power to make a difference. Consciously choosing to buy sustainable, wild-caught fish and shellfish and responsibly-farmed fish helps to protect fish stocks in vulnerable coastal areas and in the open seas.

This annual week of awareness is a shared initiative of WWF Belgium, the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) and the Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC). The two latter organisations are best known for their quality labels, which recognise sustainable, wild-caught fish and responsibly-farmed fish, respectively.

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A slip inside the eel trade

Eels have traditionally been caught, bred for trade and consumed live, fresh, chilled, frozen or smoked for many centuries, and are an integral part of many countries’ culinary backgrounds – from Asia, to the Americas, to Europe and beyond.

This elongated fish’s broad consumption spread is largely due to the family comprising some 800 species, with sizes ranging from just 30 grams to more than 25kg. The most popular varieties include the European eel (Anguilla anguilla) and East Asia’s favourite Japanese eel (Anguilla japonica). Indeed, the global demand for eels has traditionally been driven by East Asia, particularly in Japan.

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Mussels: Chile’s other aquaculture industry

While Chile’s salmonids – Atlantic and coho salmon as well as rainbow trout – lead the way when it comes to the South American country’s aquaculture production, its mussels industry has long been a very important economic contributor and a major supplier to the overall global supply of these bivalves.

Chile’s mussel culture is based on the production of three main species: the chorito or Chilean mussel (Mytilus chilensis), which is known locally as “chorito” and is the best known internationally; the cholga mussel (Aulacomya ater); and the giant o r choro mussel (Choromytilus chorus). While most Chilean mussels are exported, all the cholga and giant mussels are consumed locally.

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What’s happening to the world’s coldwater prawn stocks?

If you’ve taken delight in eating a prawn sandwich or a prawn cocktail, the chances are you have been wowed by the sweet taste and firm texture of the Northern coldwater prawn (Pandalus borealis).

Accounting for more than 70 percent of global coldwater prawn landings, the Northern coldwater prawn is by far the most widely traded species in the family. Instantly recognisable for their bright pinkish-red colour that results post-cooking, these small shrimp have long been a popular choice in shops and restaurants around the world.

As well as being an extremely versatile seafood product, coldwater prawns tick many boxes for health-minded consumers. They are a good source of protein and selenium, low in calories, and have a high vitamin and mineral content, including vitamin B12, zinc and iodine.

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Surimi explained: So much more than a crabstick

When most people think of surimi, the first thing that comes to mind is the crabstick – perhaps in a sandwich or in California sushi rolls. But there is so much more to admire about the surimi sector than this classic product format, including the progressive way it continues to pioneer with innovative product development and bold new flavours.

Thanks to technological advancements, consumer markets the world over are swimming with everything from surimi shrimp and lobster to eel and even surimi ham. And so strong has been the impact of the industry, that it also makes crucial contributions to the security of many fishing fleets and fisheries.

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A good year for whitefish supplies

It’s been a fine start to 2016 for European whitefish supplies, with more prime-quality Atlantic cod and haddock being made available to the market than last year — particularly from its two biggest sources, the Barents Sea and Icelandic fisheries.

Europe’s increased cod supply will mainly come from Iceland as a result of the country’s 10% higher harvest control rule (HCR) of 239,000 metric tons for the 2015/2016 quota year. According to government statistics, the country landed 253,789 metric tons of cod in the last 12 months (May 2015–April 2016), an increase of 6% year-on-year.

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Global demand grows for ASC certification

At this year’s Seafood Expo Global in Brussels (26–28 April), it was announced that the number of aquaculture farms certified to the Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC) had grown by 55% in the last 12 months to 247. At the same time, the ASC has expanded into new countries with certified farms now also found in Japan, the US and Germany.

Indeed, the number of ASC-certified farms has grown rapidly in the five years since the tilapia standard was launched in 2012. But what is the ASC, what does it do, and why is it important?

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