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What the ocean means to me

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By: Adira Nehme

It is Oceans Week in Halifax, and I have been asked the question of what the ocean means to me. When asked I sat and started to think about what the ocean means to me and what it might mean to other people. I realized that the ocean has always been important to me but I saw it through a much smaller lens than I do now, after starting here at Afishionado.

 

Growing up in Nova Scotia, the ocean has always been my favourite place to be. It would be where I went if I needed clarity. I found that no matter what I was looking for I could always find it in the ocean. It gave me adventure and excitement, but also peace and relaxation. The ocean has always been my happy place, no matter where I am, no matter what beach I am visiting, it always manages to give me exactly what I need.

 

I remember growing up, I had friends come to visit who had never seen the ocean in person before, they had never seen waves crashing against a shore line, and had never tasted the salt in the water. It was astonishing to me that people could live their entire lives and never see the ocean. I couldn’t imagine having a life where I wasn’t just a short drive to the nearest beach. That is something I think a lot of people in Nova Scotia can resonate with.

 

As I grew up I also met people who had a fear of the ocean. The great unknown, deep, dark and cold. I remember hearing one time that we know more about the surface of the moon than we do about the bottom of our own oceans. It always amazed me how something I found such safety and comfort in, could be somebody else’s biggest fear. I think it is because people have such strong feelings about the ocean that we have the aquaculture industry that we do. Strong emotions lead to strong reactions, even negative ones. Fear, for example, can lead to curiosity which can lead to research, which can drive innovation.

 

When I started working at Afishionado I became more aware of the ocean as a provisional tool, how many jobs the fishery industry provides, how the ocean can put food on the table for so many families around the world. We all have such strong connections with the ocean and our livelihood depends on it, so we should be doing everything in our power to try and sustain it.

 

The ocean has always played a significant role in my life, but now more than ever before I see the true value in appreciating and protecting our oceans. I think that Oceans Week is a great opportunity for everyone to reflect on why they care about this issue, because at the end of the day it really does impact all of us, we all care about this topic for one reason or another and now is the perfect opportunity to learn more about what we can do to help protect it.

Adira (right) and her friend, from back when we were allowed to hug.

… but is it sustainable? A conversational essay about what “sustainability” means to Afishionado

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“… but is it sustainable?” I think this is the single most popular question that we encounter at Afishionado; and, to be honest, it’s kind of a tricky one to answer. Not because I don’t believe any one of our products to be fundamentally unsustainable, but because the term “sustainable” seems to mean different things to different people. Definitions are similar in theme, but everyone seems to have their own ideas about what makes something sustainable, whether it be a product or an action. Although these seemingly small differences between definitions appear insignificant, they are usually the make-it-or-break-it factor with respect to purchasing a certain product or being on board with a sourcing decision.

 

Perhaps unsurprisingly, “local” is the term that comes up the most frequently, and is often used interchangeably with “sustainable” by customers. While I do not have a background in agriculture, I imagine that this association between terms likely stems from our collective healthier, more robust knowledge of land-based food, namely fruits, vegetables, and land-animal based proteins (beef, chicken, lamb, etc.). Conceptually, it makes sense that fruits, vegetables, and proteins grown within 100 km would be more sustainable, in essence, than an equivalent from abroad – particularly if your gauge of sustainability is viewed through an environmental lens. However, the seafood industry is fundamentally a different space and beast to deal with.

 

Fisheries (and aquaculture) is one of the largest industries in the world and one of the trickiest industries to manage. There are a multitude of reasons that make fisheries management such a complex field but one of the more obvious reasons is that wild fish move and as easy as it is to draw lines on a map over the water, fish don’t often respect these boundaries. So, while wild fish may have local management plans, populations are usually managed at a global scale. Furthermore, it is worth mentioning here that nearly all wild and farmed fish and shellfish are bought and sold at the global scale. Have you ever noticed how difficult it is to find a good variety of Nova Scotian fish in Nova Scotia? This is because the majority of it is sold to American and Asian markets. The global management of wild fish is particularly evident with large, highly migratory, and high value species like tuna.

 

When it comes to assessing the sustainability of a fishery it’s important take a holistic approach because you need to consider all the aspects of what makes a fishery, “a fishery”. A fishery is not simply the natural resource; the people that make up a fishery (fishers, processors, suppliers, etc.) are as essential to the fishery as the fish itself. Although all fisheries have the same basic concepts, to catch and sell fish, their intricacies vary from place to place. These discrepancies can include something very specific, such as gear type or target species as well as other, more immaterial concepts like customs, traditions, and social norms within the specific fishing community.

 

Sustainability in fisheries and actions to “prove” sustainability can take many forms; anywhere from establishing robust marine protected areas with heavily enforced ‘no-take’ zones, to promoting fisheries that have been certified sustainable by meeting criteria defined by agencies such as the Marine Stewardship Council or Ocean Wise, to implementing private incentive mechanisms to promote sustainable practices in specific fisheries. Because of all of the factors that make up a fishery (the animals, the people, the equipment, the areas, etc.), sustainability in fisheries is not merely a social issue, or an economic issue, or an ecological issue. For a fishery to truly be considered sustainable it is a reconciliation of all three systems working together.

 

Traditionally sustainable fisheries schemes have isolated either the social, environmental, or economic aspects of the fishery. By focusing on a single aspect of what makes a fishery, however, we are blinding ourselves to all of the other contributing factors of the industry and limiting our success at achieving true sustainability.

 

At Afishionado we work hard source from fisheries and the aquaculture sector that encompass and reconcile the three pillars of sustainability (economic, social, and ecological). Sometimes this means that a certain product may be sourced from a surprising geographical area. This is because we believe that socially responsible and ecologically sound practices should be rewarded. Knowing there is a market for sustainable shrimp farming, for example, provides incentive for such an industry to become the norm, rather than the exception. Or – handline caught tuna, though more labour intensive and often from abroad, when viewed through a holistic lens arguably falls into the ‘sustainable’ category by proxy of catch method, and providing an economy to the, often, lower-income communities the industry supports. By incentivizing more sustainable practices at the global scale we hope to play a positive role in the global sustainability conversation and provide evidence that can lead to better policy and decision making.

We’re Hiring a Logistics Delivery Driver!

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Afishionado is a community-minded fishmongers that is dedicated to bringing the fishing traditions of Nova Scotia back to the plates of consumers. For us, knowing the story behind the fish we sell is important. We follow Ocean Wise www.oceanwise.ca/ certification as our main guide, a classification that ensures responsibility to a fishery’s abundance and catch method. Any Afishionado products that don’t have that certification, such as our wild Atlantic halibut and cod, are fished using hook and line caught methods. As much as possible we maintain close relationships with those who catch our fish, and work hard to help foster a fair, transparent and sustainable exchange of seafood in the Maritimes from the ocean all the way to your plate. We are looking to add a dedicated delivery driver to our team.

 

Salary $15.00/hr, 35 hours a week

Hours Tuesday – Friday, hours will vary

Terms of Employment: Full Time

Work Conditions: Fast-paced environment, physically demanding, must be able to lift 50 lbs.

Work Location: Based in Halifax, driving to different parts of the Maritimes regularly.

Driver’s license required. Various Locations

 

Job Brief: We are looking for an enthusiastic and responsible individual to promote Afishionado products to existing and potential restaurant customers. This will require distributing products promptly and safely to Afishionado customers while providing them with exceptional customer experience. You will also be responsible for retrieving product from suppliers throughout the Maritimes. You will represent Afishionado in a professional and knowledgeable manner with the aim to supplying HRM restaurants and individuals with the best sustainably sourced seafood available.

 

Qualifications: Knowledge/Experience

 

• Valid driver’s license and clean driving record. Must have been driving for 5 + years.

• Restaurant/Retail or food service experience as asset.

• Capacity to use Excel, Word and basic software set up functions, data entry.

• Regular driving experience.

 

Skills/Abilities

 

• Excellent organizational and time management skills

• Basic math skills

• Excellent oral and written communication skills by telephone, in written form, e-mail, in person and text

• Excellent interpersonal skills

• Performing physical activities

• Ability to work autonomously

• Ability to lift 50 lbs

 

Responsibilities

 

• Plan out route daily and adapt plan to account for changes in schedule that arise during the day.

• Communicate with suppliers and headquarters about last minute pick ups and drop offs.

• Communicate with courier services, when needed.

• Load, unload, prepare, inspect and operate delivery van.

• Perform pre trip, en route and post-trip inspection and oversee all aspects of vehicle.

• Complete logs and reports: including temperature logs and vehicle maintenance logs.

 

Such other tasks as may be assigned by Afishionado from time to time. Apply with a Cover Letter and Resume to hello@afishionado.ca

Chef Spotlight: Cody Wallace

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Pictured: Chef Cody Wallace, Shuck Seafood + Raw Bar
Meet Chef Cody Wallace.

While photographing some delicious cajun shrimp for our featured recipe this week, we had a chance to sit down with Chef Cody and talk about his experience in the food industry, love for the east coast, and beliefs about sustainable (sea)food.

Originally from Perry Sound, Ontario, Cody grew up as a prospective geologist, working as a dishwasher in his friend’s father’s kitchen. However, one fateful night changed the course of his life – there was a rush at the restaurant, and understaffed and overwhelmed, the chef acquired help from Cody, teaching him how to create and plate the dishes being served. Young Cody fell in love with it, and has been in the industry for 15 years since.
Pictured: Cajun grilled shrimp with corn salsa and avocado – a creation from Chef Cody
Our Catch of the week subscribers get exclusive access to this recipe! Sign up now.

In between prepping for the dinner rush and happy hour, Chef Wallace whipped up a beautiful cajun-inspired shrimp dish using black tiger shrimp from Selva Shrimp, and sat down for a quick chat about seafood. The Shuck Seafood & Raw Bar chef has always been drawn to the east coast – the ocean, the culture, the food – and has spent the larger part of the past decade in PEI and NS, so seafood is an undeniable part of his life.

When asked why, as a chef, he sourced sustainable seafood, he took a moment to think about it. “For me, sustainability is about knowing that we can eat that fish the next day. No matter how good that fish or seafood is, if we can’t work with it tomorrow then what’s the point?” he told me with confidence.

“Taking care of our oceans, and the seafood within, is a big part of reality, especially because it takes up so much of our beautiful planet. We need to take care of what we have so future generations of chefs can have the opportunity to cook the same beautiful product we can today.”

How can you argue with that?

It got us thinking about the food we eat and why we consider it a sustainable choice – especially relevant when discussing the controversial subject that is shrimp. Shrimp is the most valuable traded marine product in the world today. In 2005, farmed shrimp was a 10.6 billion industry. Today, production is growing at an approximate rate of 10 percent annually—one of the highest growth rates in aquaculture.

You may be asking, “but how in the world is my shrimp cocktail controversial?!”

Conventional farmed shrimp production has been known to result in negative impacts to the environment. Ecologically-sensitive habitats are often cleared for farming production, especially mangroves. In the time it takes the shrimp to reach maturity, organic waste, chemicals, and antibiotics are released into the surrounding environment. These things in turn impact local livelihoods.

Wild shrimp isn’t much better – often caught with bottom trawlers, the bycatch can far exceed the intended catch (bycatch meaning other species, like turtles and sharks, are being caught and discarded).
Pictured: Vietnamese Mangroves, @selvashrimp on twitter

Selva Shrimp is an outlier, and a success story in the world of farmed shrimp. The black tiger shrimp and white shrimp live and grow naturally in the mangroves of southern Vietnam, which serve as a breeding grounds and natural nursery for a lot of marine species (even sharks!). While many shrimp farms are destroying mangroves around the world, Selva has also been actively restoring them with local community partners.

The shrimp live naturally in the mangroves, free of added feed, antibiotics, and anything that is not naturally occuring in the ocean. Once they have reached maturity, they head out to sea, as shrimp do when they grow up. When this migration occurs, the farmers harvest the shrimp using hand nets.
Pictured: More cajun shrimp, because yum!
This is not an #ad. We just like talking about the people who are doing it RIGHT, and the reason we choose to source some of our seafood internationally. We believe it is important to partner with companies that truly support a sustainable alternative, and lead the industry with best practices. And while we do our best to support local fishers and farmers, seafood is indeed a global industry (fish do not adhere to national borders, after all), and thus it is imperative to think globally when tackling the contemperary issue of sustainable seafood.

ShanDaph Aquaculture is hiring summer students!

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ShanDaph Aquaculture is an environmentally sustainable, organic aquaculture operation, located in Big Island, Nova Scotia.

The boutique operation grows primarily oysters, as well as bay scallops and quahogs, in the Northumberland Strait waters of Atlantic Canada. ShanDaph Oysters focuses on providing consistently high quality, fresh shellfish. Only the plumpest, tastiest shellfish with consistent size and shape are harvested for an exciting gourmet experience.

ShanDaph promotes environmentally sound practices. Shellfish are grown from seed and harvested in a natural setting. They are packaged onsite in a Federally-registered, solar-powered facility, the only one in Atlantic Canada.

ShanDaph is hiring one co-op student, and one CLEAN Leadership summer intern!

TO APPLY: Please send a resume and coverletter to philip@shandaph.com or apply at www.cleanleadership.ca

DEADLINE MARCH 17, 2019

Shellfish farm Technician – Co-op placement

Terms of Employment

16 week co-op placement, 40 hours a week,  $15/hour

 

Work Conditions

Fast-paced environment, physically demanding, working outdoors most of the day

 

Work Location:

Big Island, Nova Scotia at our Shellfish Aquaculture site

 

Job Brief:

We are looking for an enthusiastic, responsible, and hard-working individual to fill the position of Shellfish Farm Technician. The position will entail full time hours working on site, at one of our two aquaculture leases, working within our federally registered shellfish processing facility, reporting on and measuring the effectiveness of new technologies and processes for a shellfish husbandry.

  1. This position will entail a keen willingness to be outdoors, on the water, and involved in all aspects of shellfish husbandry, harvesting and processing;
  1. The incumbent will be required to swim for shellfish, harvest from a boat, de-foul shellfish, sort, tumbling and grading oysters.
  1. The husbandry component involves managing various shellfish grow out apparatus and determining best husbandry practice for optimal growth;
  1. The position will assist in measuring the effectiveness of new technologies for shellfish husbandry, including data collection and qualitative research and reporting;
  1. Data collection for various environmental monitoring for temperature, salinity measurements, turbidity;
  1. The incumbent, based on skill set will be required to design and repair husbandry and growth equipment as required;
  1. A willingness to adjust weekly work hours based on the tides and activities being carried out on the farm.

 

Background and Qualifications

  1. Student in the field of marine Biology, Environmental engineering, Environmental Resource Management or other such field.
  2. The ability to be outdoors in a wet environment, for most of the day.
  3. A Canadian boating license, or equivalent.
  4. First aid certificate (long course).
  5. An independent worker who can autonomously complete tasks.
  6. Technical capacity and experience in design, prototyping and build out new equipment. CAD experience at asset.

** Farm is located in a rural area, personal transportation to and from farm will be needed. (You will need a car.)

 

Shellfish farm Technician – CLEAN Leadership 

 

Terms of Employment

16 week placement, 40 hours a week,  $14/hour

 

Work Conditions

Fast-paced environment, physically demanding, working outdoors most of the day

 

Work Location:

Big Island, Nova Scotia at our Shellfish Aquaculture site

 

Job Brief:

We are looking for an enthusiastic, responsible, and hard-working individual to fill the position of Shellfish Farm Technician. The position will entail full time hours working on site, at one of our two aquaculture leases, working within our federally registered shellfish processing facility, reporting on and measuring the effectiveness of new technologies and processes for a shellfish husbandry.

  1. This position will entail a keen willingness to be outdoors, on the water, and involved in all aspects of shellfish husbandry, harvesting and processing;
  1. The incumbent will be required to swim for shellfish, harvest from a boat, de-foul shellfish, sort, tumbling and grading oysters;
  1. The husbandry component involves managing various shellfish grow out apparatus and determining best husbandry practice for optimal growth;
  1. The position will assist in measuring the effectiveness of new technologies for shellfish husbandry, including data collection and qualitative research and reporting;
  1. Data collection for various environmental monitoring for temperature, salinity measurements, turbidity;
  1. The incumbent, based on skill set will be required to design and repair husbandry and growth equipment as required;
  1. A willingness to adjust weekly work hours based on the tides and activities being carried out on the farm.

 

Background and Qualifications

  1. Student in the field of marine Biology, Environmental engineering, Environmental Resource Management or other such field.
  2. The ability to be outdoors in a wet environment, for most of the day.
  3. A Canadian boating license, or equivalent.
  4. First aid certificate (long course).
  5. An independent worker who can autonomously complete tasks.
  6. Technical capacity and experience in design, prototyping and build out new equipment. CAD experience at asset.

** Farm is located in a rural area, personal transportation to and from farm will be needed. (You will need a car.)

We’re hiring a CLEAN Leadership Summer Intern!

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As the shape of the job market changes and the demand for innovation increases, Nova Scotia needs youth who are literate in environmental and sustainability issues and jobs that thrive in a low-carbon economy. Clean Foundation is helping youth develop a career path focused on this by providing them with the resources and tools to move confidently into the workforce as skilled, knowledgeable leaders.

How? Through the innovative Clean Leadership summer program. Clean Leadership is a sustainability-focused youth employment program that has produced thousands of graduates over its decades-long lifespan who are committed environmental leaders.

We’re proud to be participating this summer as host employer, and we’re excited to hire our summer intern who will be joining our team as a Sustainable Seafood Intern.

Summary of Position

The community partner for this Summer Student Intern position through the Clean Leadership program will be Afishionado Fishmongers, reporting to Laurie Starr. In this position, you will be mainly responsible for assisting with day to day logistics of the Warehouse Market, a bustling farmer’s market, food hub, and logistical HQ for Afishionado Fishmongers, located in the heart of Halifax’s North End. A typical day may involve assisting with setting up the farmers’ market, interacting with clients to provide information on the sustainability of seafood, helping pack wholesale orders, communicating with the Afishionado driver and partner courier companies to get orders on the road, engaging and completing sales, diving into the literature of seafood sustainability, and jumping in to assist with deliveries where required.

This is seafood sustainability in action. As a sustainable seafood social enterprise, Afishionado is actively disrupting the unsustainable commodity market by providing high-value alternative markets for small-scale community-based seafood harvesters. As an Afishionado intern, your actions directly contribute to the building of a seafood movement in Halifax and beyond that promotes seafood sustainability, traceability, transparency, and the story of where our seafood comes from.

The successful candidate should have a keen interest in the local and sustainable food and seafood movement, and be motivated to apply concepts of sustainability into practical projects by interacting with resources, food products, clients, and customers on a day-to-day basis. The candidate should have an insatiable appetite for staying on top of the most up-to-date seafood sustainability reports, be comfortable with task management and prioritization, deal with a wide variety of constantly shifting responsibilities, be a self-starter not afraid to take action where required, and be extremely comfortable dealing directly with the public.

 

Duties and Responsibilities

  • Assist with the management of the Warehouse Market farmers’ market on a day-to-day basis, including interacting with the public, engaging in sales, and maintaining appropriate stock levels;
  • Deliver seafood to restaurants in Annapolis Valley and the South Shore
  • Take and record orders when necessary or direct wholesale customers to our wholesale manager;
  • Organize and dispatch orders outside of the HRM through our Courier partners;
  • Deal directly with the public and customers at the Warehouse farmer’s market;
  • Collect payments and invoice from mobile device at the Warehouse farmer’s market;
  • Inform customers about new products and services;
  • Research and learn detailed information about the goods and services provided by Afishionado, including up to date reports on their sustainability;
  • Direct feedback and questions to supervisors, as needed, and resolve complaints where possible;
  • Load, unload, prepare, inspect and operate delivery van where required;
  • Participate in public events and expos as a front line Afishionado representative;
  • Work with supervisor to determine a project subject, culminating in a final project report in August;
  • Participate in two sustainable seafood reviews to ensure continued improvement of knowledge related to seafood sustainability;
  • Other tasks that may be assigned by Afishionado as required.

 

Requirements/Qualifications


Specific requirements and minimum qualifications required to successfully perform the job. These are the qualifications that are necessary for someone to be considered for the position.

  • Must be a Canadian citizen or legally entitled to work in Canada;
  • Must be between the ages of 18 and 30;
  • Must be a full-time student and intending to return to school in fall 2019;
  • Is not a member of immediate family of community partner;
  • Have an aptitude for safe work practices and the ability to multi-task in a busy work environment;
  • Be able to work productively as part of a team while responding to feedback;
  • Demonstrates interest in future employment in the environmental or ‘green’ sector is considered an asset;
  • Valid driver’s license and clean driving record. Must have been driving for 3+ years;
  • Regular driving experience, with previous insurance;
  • Restaurant/Retail or food service experience;
  • Capacity to use Excel, Word and basic software set up functions, data entry;
  • Excellent organizational and time management skills;
  • Basic math skills;
  • Excellent oral and written communication skills by telephone, in written form, e-mail, in person and text;
  • Excellent interpersonal skills;
  • Ability to work autonomously

 

Working Conditions / Physical Requirements

  • Ability to safely and legally operate a motor vehicle, with a full license;
  • Ability to lift 45 lbs

 

Apply Now

Send your cover letter and CV to hello@afishionado.ca

Deadline March 15

Know Your Tuna

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When you think ‘tuna’, what comes to mind? Likely flakey fish in a can or mom’s tuna salad sandwiches. At Afishionado, we want you to know that tuna are wonderfully diverse. There are 15 different species of tuna. Tuna are truly extraordinary; some species can swim as fast as 75km/hr and migrate thousands of kilometres every year. I once showed a friend a photo of a 700 pound tuna caught off the coast of Nova Scotia and was surprised to hear “THAT’S A TUNA?!, I thought they were small!”. Nope, weights range from 73lbs in Skipjack Tuna 1472lbs in Bluefin. They’re big, bold and beautiful!

Unfortunately, tuna harvested for consumption are often caught unsustainably. One of the most common capture methods is by using a purse seine net, where two boats use a net to encircle an entire group of fish, catching everything in the area. Another method involves floating lines that trail with thousands of baited hooks, also known as longlining. Both of these methods catch massive amounts of fish at once, even fish other than the target species. The non-target species caught in a fishery are called “bycatch”. In the case of tuna fisheries, common bycatch includes other large fish species, like sharks, and sea turtles.

At Afishionado, we only sell tuna caught from healthy stocks by surface trolling, where there is no significant damage to other species or young tuna populations. Catching younger tuna can devastate populations in mass scale fisheries, by removing a generation before they are able to reproduce. We also sell tuna that has been caught as bycatch. Bycatch is an unfortunate reality in many fisheries. However, dealing with tuna caught as bycatch helps us to gain momentum in the industry, so that we can make a larger impact towards increasing the sustainability of fisheries.

If you’re looking for an oppor-tuna-ty for culinary delight, the most commonly consumed species are yellowfin, skipjack, albacore, bigeye and unfortunately, bluefin, which is endangered. Here’s some information to help you get to know each species in more detail:

1. Skipjack Tuna
Katsuwonus pelamis

 

 

 

 

 

Characteristics

  • Live up to 4 years
  • Grow up to 3.5′ long
  • Weigh up to 73lbs

Food Uses

  • Canned

FYI

  • Skipjack are a smaller tuna and is typically canned. So when you’re thinking ‘mom’s tuna sandwiches’, this is your guy!

2. Yellowfin Tuna
Thunnus albacares

 

 

 

 

Characteristics

  • Live up to 7 years
  • Grow up to 6.7′ long
  • Weigh up to 427lbs

Food Uses

  • Steaks
  • Saku Blocks

FYI

  • Yellowfin is one of Afishionados most popular tuna products, sold as steaks (pictured above) and saku blocks.
  • Our Yellowfin comes from ANOVA Seafood and an Indonesian fishery that is part of the Living & Fishing This project was established by ANOVA, in cooperation with NGOs and aims to improve fisheries management. The main objective is to increase the capacity of the fishing communities involved, preserving their traditional livelihood and to keep Yellowfin populations healthy. This yellowfin is caught using a handline. Handline fishing has almost no bycatch and low environmental impact.

3. Albacore Tuna
Thunnus alaunga

Characteristics

  • Live up to 7 years
  • Grow up to 4.3′ long
  • Weigh up to 88lbs

Food Uses

  • Canned
  • Steaks

FYI

  • Albacore is another one of Afishionados most popular tuna products. Our Albacore loins come from Organic Ocean, a West Coast company established by independent fishermen looking to strike a balance between their traditional way of life and fisheries impacts.
  • These tuna are caught off the coast of Haida Gwaii, from healthy, well-managed populations.
  • Albacore has the highest level of Omega-3 fatty acids of all tunas and is considered to have a more delicate and melt-in-the-mouth flavour than other tunas.

4. Bigeye Tuna
Thunnus obesus

Characteristics

  • Live up to 10 years
  • Grow up to 7.5′ long
  • Weigh up to 462lbs

Food Uses

  • Steaks
  • Sushi

FYI

  • Bigeye has similar qualities as Yellowfin and Albacore, but they can grow much larger! Bigeye tuna steaks were featured in a September 2017 Catch of the Week. However, Afishionado only deals with Bigeye tuna caught as bycatch at this time.

5. Bluefin Tuna
Thunnus thynnus

Characteristics

  • Live up to 15 years
  • Grow up to 9.8′ long
  • Weigh up to 1472lbs

Food Uses

  • Sushi

FYI

  • Bluefin tuna are without a doubt, the king of all tunas. They swim the fastest and travel the furthest, and thus are appropriately nicknamed “The Ferraris of the Ocean”
  • Unfortunately, these giants are endangered. Poor fisheries management has led to years of unsustainable quota, causing a significant depletion of stocks. The high value of this fish may contribute to inefficient fisheries management; some are sold for hundreds of thousands of dollars!
  • We want you to recognize the beauty of the Bluefin, but please don’t eat them in your sushi!

 

Soothing the Fear of Farmed Fish

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Do you eat meat? If you do, it’s more than likely been farmed, and highly unlikely that it’s been exclusively hunted from the wild. Most meat eaters can tell you that how farmed meat is grown has all sorts of differences, from its taste to its environmental impact. That’s why we find it particularly peculiar that many seafood consumers still have a steadfast fear of farmed fish. Just as all farmed meats aren’t equal, the same can be said for farmed seafood. We’re here to soothe your qualms and give you a little food for thought.

First and foremost, at Afishionado we absolutely appreciate and encourage scrutinous food purchasing behaviours! Perhaps you only buy a certain type of farmed meat—maybe pasture raised beef or free-range chicken. Maybe you take the time to make sure your eggs are cage-free, and maybe only the freshest spring lamb will do for you! You might go to leaps and bounds to avoid eating beef sourced from a confirmed animal feedlot operation, and perhaps you’d scoff at the idea of eating chicken raised in battery cages. Yet it’s still farmed meat—it’s just that you’ve chosen a specific method of farming that you prefer for sustainability or quality reasons or both.

The initial aversion to farmed seafood is often well deserved. There are many unsustainable large volumes, low-value aquaculture methods that pump low quality farmed seafood into the marketplace while having a huge environmental impact. Yet farmed seafood is far from a catch-all term. There is a distinct difference in quality, texture, taste, depending on how a species was grown. And there is a huge difference in sustainability. There are many different ways to raise a fish, and the resulting products are vastly different.

Just as pasture-raised grass-fed beef might taste different and have a different texture than an animal that was fed an unnatural diet of corn, soy, and grains, an Atlantic Salmon grown in a recirculating closed containment aquaculture facility, fed a diet comprised of sustainably sourced wild marine protein and fish oils, will certainly taste different than an open-net pen-raised Atlantic Salmon that was fed cheap feed comprised of corn and chicken by-products. Responsibly grown seafood can taste absolutely delicious.

 

Despite all of this, some folks are just deadset on wild seafood. It’s wild or nothing. We agree that a wild Atlantic Salmon definitely tastes different than a farmed one. It’s also a given that the modern-day chicken doesn’t taste like wild partridge or guinea fowl. Domesticated mutton and lamb don’t taste like wild bighorn sheep. We still find farm raised meats to be delicious, or we wouldn’t eat them. And farmed seafood can be a culinary delight as well.

Wild seafood is incredible, and if responsibly fished, a sustainable source of nutrition that can sustain consumers and coastal communities for generations to come. But we can’t—and shouldn’t—all eat wild seafood exclusively. We can—and should—celebrate those pioneering individuals and enterprises that are taking a stand against large-scale aquaculture, who take the time to raise delicious seafood responsibly. Together, sustainable aquaculture and sustainable fishing can make our seafood supply chain resilient and diverse for now and generations to come. Our eating decisions directly impact the future of seafood.

by Justin Cantafio, Sustainable Seafood Specialist

What are your thoughts? Let us know in the comments below.

Halifax Oyster Festival September 2017

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Hello,

Afishionado Fishmongers is looking for volunteers for the Halifax Oyster Festival to help shuck and schlep. If you are interested in participating we would love to have you. Please feel free to contact us if you have any question or just fill your information below.

Would you like to volunteer with us? E-mail hello@afishionado.ca or choose your suitable session for volunteering to help us shuck!

Friday night session volunteer: click HERE.
Saturday afternoon session volunteer: click HERE.
Saturday night session volunteer: click HERE.

For more information about Halifax Oyster Festival and to buy tickets click HERE.

Paul Greenberg talks in Halifax

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Photo: https://www.prhspeakers.com/speaker/paul-greenberg-2

Afishionado Fishmongers is sponsoring Paul Greenberg to come to Halifax. Paul Greenberg is a best-selling American author, whose 2010 book Four Fish became a must-read on seafood sustainability, drawing widespread praise and winning the James Beard writing and literature award. 2014’s follow-up American Catch examines the paradox of the US importing more than 85% of its seafood despite controlling more ocean than any country. His 2015 TED Talk discusses the irrationality of today’s seafood economy, receiving over 1.5 million views. His 2017 acclaimed documentary The Fish on my Plate highlights his year-long self-experiment eating fish with every meal to determine “What fish should I eat that’s good for me and good for the planet?”. Greenberg is a National Endowment for the Arts Literature Fellow, a Pew Fellow in Marine Conservation, and a W. K. Kellogg Foundation Food and Society Policy Fellow. More about Paul Greenberg, click HERE

About the Event:

Where: Ondaatje Hall, 6135 University Avenue, Marion McCain Arts & Social Sciences building. 
Date & Time: Thursday, Sep 14th, 7:00 pm

Sponsored by:

The proper way to store fish and shellfish

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We often receive questions about the best way to store seafood. Proper food handling is extremely important for guaranteeing quality and safety and is paramount for seafood because it’s often more perishable than other foods. Spoilage can happen quickly. Enzymes within seafood flesh kick start the decaying process, which is further helped by naturally occurring microorganisms. Knowing the best ways to safely store seafood can help to make it last longer, taste its best, and limit any risk of illness!

Ideally, fresh fish and shellfish should be kept between 1.5 to 2˚C. For fresh seafood, make sure you never go under 0˚C or over 4˚C! Check your fridge temperature. You might need to consider turning your fridge temperature down to maximize seafood freshness, but make sure it’s not too cold for other fresh products such as fruits and vegetables. The lucky folks among us will have a separate compartment with a colder setting, but regardless, the following information will let you know how long your catch will last and the best ways to store it:

 

Fresh and Frozen Fish

Most sources such as Health Canada recommend that you consume fresh fish within two days of purchase. However, this time varies depending on how fresh the fish really is. Fish could last for up to four or more days after purchase. When purchasing with from your local fishmonger, the best way to be sure is to just ask what they recommend! A good fishmonger will know when your fish was harvested and how long it’ll last under ideal conditions. Alternatively, when purchasing from grocery stores there is often a best before the date that should be followed.

If you can’t consume your fresh fish in time, freezing is a great option to prolong freshness. Your fish should be packaged so that there is little to no air left ꟷ vacuum packing works wonders ꟷ but if you don’t have one, squeezing as much air out as possible will do the trick. Another option is to fill a container with cold seawater or salted water and place the portions of fish in there to freeze. Take note that fish fattier fish like salmon and mackerel can’t be stored as long as those with little fat such as cod or hake. As a rule of thumb, fattier fish can remain in the freezer for up to 3 months, while low-fat fish can be stored for up to 6 months – in your home freezer. When fish has been stored in a commercial or industrial freezer, it is generally good up to 2 years from being packed!

 

Fresh and Frozen Shellfish

Fresh live shellfish should be stored in the refrigerator in a bowl with a damp cloth or paper towel over top. Any live product should never be stored while submerged in water or sealed in air-tight containers or bags because they’ll soon perish from lack of oxygen! Also, be sure to empty any water that accumulates at the bottom of the bowl ꟷ this is particularly common in mussels as they release a lot of water.

The freshness and quality of your shellfish will depend on how long it can be stored in the fridge. Health Canada suggests that all shellfish be consumed within three days, however, when bought fresh and local from fishmongers like us, we can recommend up to a week for mussels and clams, and up to three weeks for oysters! For fresh scallops and shrimp, we suggest no more than two days.

Whether you have leftovers or just want to save some of your shellfish for later, we recommend you cook your shellfish, or you can remove the meat and store in a freezer bag or container submerged in a brine solution or the cooled liquid that it was cooked in. For oysters specifically, it’s best to shuck the oysters and save the liquid to cover the oysters in. Below are some suggested freezer storing times:

  • Lobster – 3-4 months
  • Scallops – 6 months
  • Mussels – 3-4 months
  • Clams – 3-4 months
  • Oysters – 4-6 months
  • Shrimp – 4-6 months

 

As always, if you ever have any seafood related questions, please don’t hesitate to contact us through our website, or to come have a chat with us in person at the Warehouse at 2867 Isleville Street in Halifax’s North End on Thursdays and Fridays from 11 to 7, during the market day,ans Saturdays from 9-1.

Fresh vs. Frozen – Which is better?

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The classic fresh versus frozen debate has taken the world of seafood by storm for decades. In the past, fresh seafood dominated mainly due to frozen seafood—often in the form of mushy fish sticks—having such a poor reputation in the public eye. We think it’s time to debunk the myth and celebrate frozen seafood for its many qualities.

While fresh seafood straight off the boat is undoubtedly top quality, consumers rarely have the opportunity to eat such a luxury. The rise of globalization has led to a large amount of seafood imports here in Atlantic Canada, and fresh seafood may not be as fresh as you think, especially once it’s traveled thousands of miles just to get to your plate. Much of the seafood we consume has actually been imported, and freezing is critical to ensuring freshness. In fact, when seafood is immediately flash frozen—a type of freezing where seafood is frozen between -40˚C to -60˚C degrees extremely quickly—it stays much fresher for much longer. And frozen seafood can be more environmentally friendly, since fresh fish is often shipped by air, requiring more energy than frozen fish, which can travel by boat, rail, or truck.

When you purchase frozen product instead of fresh from small-scale operations you help to support the fishermen and relieve the pressure they face to deliver fresh product immediately after it was caught. Additionally, frozen portions allow consumers to take only what they need from their freezer, and reduce the amount of waste produced in households. Imagine trying to consume this whole Yellowfin Tuna before it goes bad!

Photo: Fishtube.tv

Afishionado sources sustainable handline-caught Yellowfin Tuna from Vietnam and Indonesia that come in convenient eight ounces portioned Saku blocks and steaks, loins, ground meat, or poke pieces. Click to check them out. Frozen seafood is often more affordable than its fresh counterpart and it can be consumed all year long!

Much of the debate between fresh and frozen has also been on the health and nutritional differences between the two. Many people believe that frozen seafood is a lot less nutritionally dense than fresh. The truth is that this difference is minimal. While the water released during thawing does contain some nutrients when thawing is done correctly and if the seafood has been frozen immediately after harvest there, is barely any loss at all. And frozen is often safer to eat because the freezing process kills harmful bacteria!

So yes, if you are living close to the shore and have access to fresh fish that is in season and locally caught, then fresh may be a good option for you, but in all other situations, we feel that frozen can often be a better option.

 

FROZEN PRODUCT 101

A couple tips for ensuring your frozen fish is as fresh and as tasty as possible:

  • Defrost fish in the refrigerator or in a cold-water bath – do not place in warm water as it will impact the texture of the fish.
  • Avoid refreezing fish once it has thawed. From a safety perspective, this is okay to do, but it will comprise the texture of the fish.
  • Know where your seafood is coming from to ensure it has been frozen correctly.