The Fish Head Whisperer Reigns Supreme

The Fish Head Whisperer is the Champion!

I recently competed in the 3rd Annual iPura Tweet & Blogfest at IBSS 2013, the 2013 International Boston Seafood Show. In this contest, local bloggers vied against each other to present the best, most comprehensive and interesting coverage of the seafood show. An impartial third party judged the contest and the top prize was a significant chunk of change, $1000. Yesterday, I learned that I have been selected as the winner and I am quite happy.

This was not the first time I have won. I was the champion of the 1st Annual iPura Tweet & Blogfest and in their 2nd Annual Contest, they added a prize for Best Coverage of Seafood Sustainability (sponsored by Global G.A.P.), which I also won. This year, there was only a single prize for Best Overall Coverage and my efforts lead to success. Kudos to all the Fish Heads who contributed to my win.

I would also like to thank the contest judge, Fiona Robinson, who is the Associate Publisher and Editor of SeaFood Business, for her time and effort in judging this contest. SeaFood Business is a cool and informative magazine that covers the seafood industry and I highly recommend that everyone interested in seafood check it out. Personally, I find plenty of story ideas in each and every issue of the magazine, as well as learning more about various seafood topics.

Big thanks also go to the good people of iPura, a food safety company, and especially Jason Simas, who runs their blog and social media. iPura has been supportive of Boston bloggers for several years and they understand the value of social media. They have also been extremely supportive of seafood issues and have helped elevate the visibility of the International Boston Seafood Show. The local print media, the newspapers and magazines, provide very little, if any, coverage of IBSS, often little more than a single basic article. Yet local bloggers, due to the iPura contest, have provides plenty of stories about IBSS.

If you know me, you understand that I am competitive so I worked hard to win this contest. I wrote a dozen posts about IBSS, tweeted up a storm, posted a YouTube video and more. I would have written about IBSS even if the contest did not exist, but the contest provided an additional motivation. The Seafood Show is a compelling event, and highly recommended for anyone who loves seafood and writes about seafood topics. I previously wrote about the reasons you should attend IBSS.

What does it take to win this contest? Based on my experiences, let me offer some suggestions and advice on how you could win the contest, which hopefully will be held again next year. First, the event is held for three days and it would be most beneficial if you attended for all three days. The more time you are there, the more information you can gather. You will be able to attend more seminars and panel discussions, be able to speak with people at more booths, and be able to taste more seafood samples. The show is huge, and you really need all that time to get an excellent sense of everything.

Second, though you receive bonuses for the number of posts and tweets you make, the true key is diversity and depth. Ten blog posts, that are all basically the same, probably won't reign supreme over five posts that show great depth and diversity. You need to write about a variety of seafood topics, and do more than present shallow, surface coverage of those topics. For example, plenty of people will write about sustainability, but your post will shine if it is more creative, original and shows a greater depth. There is no dearth of story material at IBSS so you just have to look below the surface for the most interesting stories.

Third, size does matter. As I said, you receive bonuses for the number of posts and tweets you make and that can make the difference in comparing the work of different people. You should be able to write multiple posts about IBSS, ensuring each post adds to your work, and is not just a rehash of another post. One or two posts probably won't be sufficient to touch on all of the diversity and depth available at IBSS. You will need to write numerous posts to address all of the different issues and stories you find at the seafood show. Ten blog posts, each showing diversity and depth, will trump five blog posts which do the same.

You can't win though unless you enter the contest. In 2014, the Seafood Show will be held March 16-18, 2014, so make plans to be there and hopefully the contest will be held once again. If so, I will welcome any and all competition. Come see if you can become the new Fish Head Whisperer!

All About The International Boston Seafood Show 2013

"It has always been my private conviction that any man who pits his intelligence against a fish and loses has it coming."
--John Steinbeck

This past week, I have been immersed in the ocean, swimming with the fishes. The 2013 International Boston Seafood Show (IBSS) is past and I have written a bunch of posts this week about it, exploring some of the stories I found there. To be beneficial for my readers, I am compiling all of the links to my IBSS articles into a single place. This post will be that repository, and as such will be updated whenever I write another related article about IBSS. There is a good possibility that I will follow up on certain seafood issues in the near future. And if you have any questions about the Seafood Show, feel free to ask.

On this past Monday at IBSS, the SeaFood Business released its second Show Daily magazine and I was pleasantly surprised to find that one of my tweets had been selected as their "Tweet of the Day." My tweet stated: "@BostonSeafood Show is healthy for you. Lots of exercise via walking, lots of Omega-3s from seafood, good info for your brain. #ibss13." As they select only two tweets during the entire show for their daily magazine, I was honored to have been chosen.

Here is the list of my IBSS posts:

Rant: Get Thee To The Seafood Show!
SeaShare: Seafood For Hungry Americans
Rant: Wake Up Japan, Bluefin Are In Danger
Rant: Stop Worrying, Seafood Is Safe
International Boston Seafood Show: Japanese Pavilion
Perceptions of Seafood Sustainability
Verlasso Salmon: An Update
International Boston Seafood Show: Food of Interest
International Boston Seafood Show: Some Highlights
International Boston Seafood Show: Fish Fun & Photos
Eat More U.S. Seafood: The Gulf Coast
U.S. Aquaculture Advocacy

Next year, the International Boston Seafood Show will be renamed the Seafood Expo North America as part of a global rebranding effort. Will you attend in 2014? I hope to be there.

"But more wonderful than the lore of old men and the lore of books is the secret lore of ocean."
--H. P. Lovecraft

U.S. Aquaculture Advocacy

"Oysters are the most tender and delicate of all seafoods. The stay in bed all day and night. They never work or take exercise, are stupendous drinkers, and wait for their meals to come to them."
--Hector Bolitho

As I have mentioned before, about 50% of the world's seafood production is through aquaculture and it is necessary if we intend to expand our seafood consumption. There is an insufficient supply of wild stocks to fulfill all our needs, especially if we can get everyone to eat seafood at least twice a week. The U.S. imports an unbelievable 91% of our seafood, and much of that comes from foreign aquaculture. Such aquaculture may not be sustainable and the media has indicated all of the problems, actual and potential, from those operations. The U.S. has little control over this overseas aquaculture, so what can we do?

What about U.S. aquaculture?

The U.S. currently engages in only a small amount of aquaculture and we rank 13th in total worldwide aquaculture production. Most of U.S. aquaculture is made up of freshwater farms, the majority which raise catfish. About 20% of U.S. aquaculture is for marine species, and 80% of that is for shellfish, such as oysters, clams and mussels. This marine aquaculture provides only 1.5% of U.S. seafood consumption. There have been a number of calls for increased aquaculture in the U.S. and that might be exactly what we need to increase U.S. purchases of domestic seafood.

At the International Boston Seafood Show, I stopped by the booth of the National Aquaculture Association (NAA), an advocacy group for U.S. aquaculture. Their mission is "To provide a unified national voice for aquaculture that ensures its sustainability, protects its profitability, and encourages its development in an environmentally responsible manner." The two main issues that get raised about all aquaculture are whether it is sustainable or not, and whether it is safe or not. The media often likes to talk up the risks and dangers of aquaculture, exaggerating the perils. That can create in the mind of the general public an undue paranoia against aquaculture.

In the defense of U.S. aquaculture, the NAA cites the alphabet soup of federal agencies that govern the various aspects of aquaculture, such as the USDA, EPA, NOAA, FDA and USFWS. In addition, there is a long list of stringent state and local regulations which are applicable to aquaculture operations. All of this oversight and regulations should make Americans feel more secure with domestic aquaculture, more confident that it is safe and sustainable, despite fear mongering by some of the media.

All of these legal restrictions, regulations and agencies apparently have succeeded to a large extent. According to the Seafood Watch, much of the U.S. farmed seafood is considered sustainable. For example, U.S farmed channel catfish, oysters, mussels, shrimp, Coho salmon (farmed in tank systems) and others are listed as Best Choices. The same cannot be said for many instances of foreign aquaculture. It seems that U.S. aquaculture is largely sustainable so consumers have more reasons to be confident and secure about domestic seafood.

As for the potential risks from mercury/PCBs in seafood, I have already written about that issue, that the health benefits from seafood consumption far outweigh any minimal risks. It is essentially a non-issue. Again, consumers have little reason to worry.

As I said before, you should give your support to domestic seafood, and that includes both wild and farmed seafood. It will be good for you, good for your community and good for our country.

Eat More U.S. Seafood: The Gulf Coast

“In one drop of water are found all the secrets of all the oceans.”
--Kahlil Gibran

As I previously Ranted, I am disturbed that the U.S. imports 91% of their seafood, up 5% from 2010. It is unbelievable that less than 10% of the seafood we consume is from our own country. We need to give much more support to our local fisheries, to savor and cherish the abundance of seafood that is available from our shores. When I was at International Boston Seafood Show (IBSS), I wanted to highlight at least a few domestic fisheries, to showcase the reasons why consumers should choose U.S. seafood.

In New England, we have some amazing seafood, but there are concerns about depleted fish stocks. Consider the recent drastic cuts to the allowable catches of cod due to severely low stocks. The rest of the country also has fish species which are unavailable in our waters. Though we need to support our New England fisheries, that doesn't mean we can't also support other U.S. fisheries. For example, rather than purchase foreign shrimp, we could purchase shrimp from the Gulf region.

At IBSS, I spent some time talking with representatives of the Gulf Coast Seafood coalition, which includes Alabama, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas. The Gulf of Mexico is a fertile marine region, and yields a greater number of fin fish, shrimp, and shellfish annually than the south and mid-Atlantic, Chesapeake, and New England regions combined. The Gulf produces about 82% of the U.S. total of shrimp and 59% of the total of oysters. Why shouldn't we enjoy this rich bounty?

Much of my time was spent time chatting with Chef Justin Timineri, the executive chef and culinary ambassador of the Florida Dept. of Agriculture, as well as several other Gulf representatives. Chef Timineri is also the resident chef on How To Do Florida, a television series where he primarily discusses and cooks seafood. Chef Timineri was very personable, and obviously passionate about Gulf seafood.

One of Chef Timineri's primary goals is to get people comfortable with eating and cooking seafood. He shows them how to simply prepare seafood at home, to reduce the intimidation factor so that they are more apt to eat seafood. He suggests that they start with easier seafood, such as shrimp and clams, and then work their way up to fin fish. That is good advice for people all over the country and not just in the Gulf. To get more people to enjoy seafood, they need to be led there, to have it made easier for them.

Many people complain about the higher price of seafood, and there is validity that seafood often costs more than other proteins. However, Chef Timineri rightly pointed out that such people ignore the long term price of eating cheap processed food. Though seafood might be more expensive in the short term, its great health benefits more than outweigh the long term price of processed foods. People need to consider the long term rather than the short. In addition, they need to consider portion sizes, and they don't need to buy huge pieces of fish to have a good meal.

The waters of the Gulf of Mexico are rich in nutrients, providing great flavor to the seafood. That means that the seafood can be enjoyed with only simple preparation and Chef Timineri enjoys creating recipes with light preparations. Last year, I asked a number of Gulf fisheries whether the BP oil disaster of 2010 still plagued their waters or not. In general, they all answered in the negative and this year, the answer was the same. The waters are clean and consumer confidence is high. As for any worries of mercury/PCBs, Chef Timineri advised that people diversify what they eat, similar advice to what others have said at IBSS.

With sustainability being so important, the Gulf region has been working on numerous initiatives to indicate the sustainability of their fisheries, such as 3rd party certifications. For example, the Louisiana blue crab fishery became Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) certified in 2012, the first such blue crab fishery to acquire that certification. The Gulf region has also recently instituted the Gulf Seafood Trace program, a way to track exactly where seafood comes from. This is a way to tell the story of the seafood, a way to help market their seafood as well as show its traceability. Approximately 56 seafood businesses, 25% of the total amount, are currently part of this program.

The seafood in the Gulf is seasonal and it is worthwhile to purchase what is in season, as it will tend to be less expensive then, as well as at its best taste. Chef Timineri wants to emphasize that Gulf seafood is very flavorful and is also some of the most highly tested seafood in the U.S. The top three seafoods in the Gulf are shrimp, oysters and then blue crab. I asked Chef Timineri his favorite Gulf seafood and he said Stone Crab Claws, followed by Pompano. Outside the Gulf, he prefers King/Snow Crab.

The Gulf contains some intriguing creatures and ways to cultivate them.

In Florida, they raise alligators for their meat. Chef Timineri states that alligator is great to cook and versatile as well as high in protein and low in fat. He likes to make gator chili or Italian dishes like piccata, treating gator like veal. He also feels that the ribs are unique and he has even been experimenting with the tongue.

Stone crabs possess a large crusher claw which contains delicious meat. It is sustainable in a more unique way. Fishermen can tear off the claw and then throw the crab back into the water, where the crab will regenerate its claw although it appears the crab can only do this three or four times during its life.

Gulf oysters are often triploids, sterile creatures that put their energy into growth rather than reproduction. They are plump, with good color and have a nice salinity, though they are less briny than oysters in New England. They are grown in cages near the top of the water so there is less waste. In addition, as the cages can be easily moved, the oysters can be tailored to meet specific demands, such as creating a larger cup in the shell.

So why aren't you enjoying more seafood from the Gulf?

International Boston Seafood Show: Fish Fun & Photos

“Fish is held out to be one of the greatest luxuries of the table and not only necessary, but even indispensable at all dinners where there is any pretence of excellence or fashion.”
--Isabella Beeton

While I was at the 2013 International Boston Seafood Show (IBSS), I took plenty of photos of interesting items, from fish heads to stuffed bears. Many of these pictures did not easily lend themselves to a full post so I chose to collect them here for your viewing pleasure. Have fun!

A badass Fishy Biker!

The Chicken of the Sea Mermaid. A seafood you were not allowed to sample. Look but do not touch.

An old time fish truck. Maybe we need to bring back these to deliver local fish.

Gator burgers, anyone?

A huge scary Polar Bear. Those eyes really do it!

The poor Panda is getting too heavy to climb the bamboo any more.

A can with claws? Will you be eating the crab or will it eat you?

Cats & fish. I bet they become fast friends.

Capt'n Catfish. How would you like him to be prepared?

No one will ever find me hiding in here. And if they do, they will lose their hand when they reach into grab me,

What kind of pickles would sea cucumbers make?

Blah, blah, blah. Stop talking about yourself.

These phallic looking creatures are Geoducks, pronounced "gooey ducks."

How the hell do I get the pearl out of this oyster?

Beauty is skin deep, but ugliness goes down to the bone.

Gimme a big, wet one baby!

What is a better house pet, a catfish or a dogfish?

Raise your claw if you love crab!

And the middle fish wins the race by a nose...and a lip.

Moonfish. Sunfish. C'mon, I can't be both at the same time.

Pure butter-covered lobster heaven

These are my lemon slices. Touch them and lose a finger.

“The fishermen know that the sea is dangerous and the storm terrible, but they have never found these dangers sufficient reason for remaining ashore.”
--Vincent Van Gogh

International Boston Seafood Show: Some Highlights

“To me the sea is a continual miracle; The fishes that swim–the rocks–the motion of the waves–the ships, with men in them, What stranger miracles are there?”
--Walt Whitman

The 2013 International Boston Seafood Show (IBSS) is now over and it is nearly time for this Fish Head Whisperer to take a rest. The 3rd Annual iPura Tweet & Blogfest at IBSS 2013 is also winding down, and will end at midnight on March 15. This is a special contest for Boston area bloggers in which they compete to offer the best coverage of the seafood show. An impartial third party judges the contest and the top prize is a hefty $1000. I am certainly competitive so am working hard this year to try to win it. I would cover the Seafood Show even if the contest did not exist, but the contest provides some added incentive.

I was the champion of the 1st Annual iPura Tweet & Blogfest and in their 2nd Annual Contest, they added a prize for Best Coverage of Seafood Sustainability (sponsored by Global G.A.P.), which I won. This year, it appears there will only be a single prize for best overall coverage so I am working toward becoming the champion once again.

It was a long but fruitful three days at the IBSS, meeting great people, learning plenty, tasting delicious seafood and finding fascinating stories. I have already posted a number of articles about the IBSS and here I want to provide a general overview and highlight some other matters which I previously have not yet mentioned. There will be a few omissions here as I also have a few more articles about the IBSS to post.

Last year, I posted the Twelve Things You Should Know about the IBSS. That article provide an idea of the scope, diversity and depth of the seafood show, and give you reasons why you should attend it. Nearly all of those twelve points are still applicable so I won't repeat them here again. I will only note any changes and additions. The numbering system here does not coincide with that prior article but I will reference the prior numbers when applicable.

1. It is a huge event (#2 last year). 
Continuing its trend, this year's IBSS was their largest ever, with over 1000 companies exhibiting in approximately 1850 booths. The attendance was expected to be over 19,000 attendees. Despite the large number of attendees, it is still relatively easy to navigate through the hall and there rarely is a significant line at any booth. You can also make appointments prior to the show with any exhibitors if you desire.

2. It is very international in scope (#3 last year). 
Last year, about 42 different countries exhibited at IBSS and this year saw an increase to 46. Growth continues each year.

3. Shrimp is dominant but salmon is ubiquitous (#8 last year).
As it was last year, shrimp was the seafood available from the most amount of exhibitors at IBSS. However, samples of shrimp were much rarer. Salmon is the second most available seafood yet it seemed like the top choice because so many samples of salmon were available. That makes sense as salmon occupies the #1 spot in fin fish, about 37.8% of the dollar share with tilapia at #2 with 25.2% dollar share. Last year, salmon increased 16.2% in total dollars and salmon prices decreased 7.3% to $7.24 per pound.

4. Sustainability is prevalent (#9 last year). 
Seafood sustainability continued to be a prominent topic this year. Some of the seminars on this topic includes: Tuna Forum, Seafood Sustainability in the Developing World, and Perceptions of Sustainable Seafood Production & Marketing. It seemed as if there were more signs at the booths too indicating the sustainability of their products.

5. Seafood Mislabeling takes center stage.
After a number of high profile media articles about the problems of mislabeled seafood at restaurants and stores, it is not a surprise that this topic would be addressed at IBSS. There were three seminars on this topic, including Combating Seafood Substitution & Mislabeling: Facts, Fictions & Initiatives, Panel Discussion on Species Substitution, Mislabeling & Fraud and Convergence of Seafood Traceability & Species-Identity Technologies. This is an issue that the seafood industry needs to address, and quickly, to ensure confidence in the seafood industry. Americans already don't eat enough seafood and scandals such as this don't help.

6. Caviar was prominent.
I usually see one or two caviar exhibitors at IBSS but this year there seemed to be far more. There were about 18 exhibitors with caviar though maybe 6 or 7 exhibitors who showcased it prominently at their booths. And the emphasis seems to be on sustainable caviar, which please me immensely. Two caviars even ended up in my Food of Interest post. Seems that luxury products like caviar may be rising in popularity, despite our tough economic conditions. That is surprising but maybe it is indicative that positive change is coming.

7. McDonald's supports sustainable seafood.
There are probably few people who have not heard the new "Fishy Fishy" commercial from McDonald's which introduces their new Fish McBites. These bite-sized pieces of fried fish are made from wild-caught, Alaskan pollock. And most importantly, they are certified sustainable by the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC). McDonald's Filet-O-Fish sandwiches are also made from this MSC certified pollock. Over 14,000 McDonald's restaurants in the U.S. have received MSC certification. This is huge as McDonald's is such a dominant restaurant and could expose many more people to the idea of seafood sustainability. It also shows other large chain restaurants that they too can carry sustainable fish in an affordable way. Though there do not appear to be sales figures for the new Fish McBites yet, overall McDonald's has recently posted a financial loss. Hopefully more people who do patronize McDonald's start eating more fish.

8. Maine lobster certified as sustainable.
At IBSS, it was announced that the Maine lobster fishery has received the Marine Stewardship Council’s Sustainable Seafood Certification. Governor Paul LePage stated, “The Marine Stewardship Council’s certification will provide the Maine lobster industry with a globally-recognized seal of approval.” This should give a boost to this local fishing community and will also allow them to penetrate additional markets. Some of the large chain supermarkets, such as Walmart, will only carry MSC-certified seafood. So, even if a fishery was sustainable, a lack of MSC certification could prevent them from access to Walmart. And there is no substitute for a tasty Maine lobster. Spiny lobsters just are not the same.

9. Sable fish rocks!
Some of my favorite samples at the IBSS were sable fish, also known as butterfish or Alaskan black cod. In Boston, sable fish hit the news when the Boston Globe accused Ming Tsai of mislabeling his fish, by using the term butter fish rather than the more proper sable fish. Sable fish are found in the North Pacific and Alaska boasts the largest population in the world. Sable fish is very sustainable and is very good for you as it is high in Omega-3s. The flesh has a high fat content so it can be prepared in a myriad of ways, and even an amateur cook will find it difficult to prepare it poorly. It is delicious, with a soft, velvety texture, which is why it is sometimes called butter fish. Nearly 20 exhibitors had sablefish, though it still seems rare on Boston menus. Boston area chefs, bring on the sable fish!

10. The media needs to stop fear mongering.
At two different seminars, and in discussions with multiple people at IBSS, the issue was raised that the media far too often mentions the risks of consuming seafood rather than the benefits. In fact, their negative articles appear to be four times as great as their positive articles. This is despite overwhelming evidence from many scientists and health professionals that the health benefits of eating seafood far outweigh any minor risks such as from mercury/PCBs. Such fear mongering obviously raises attention and sells more newspapers and magazines but it does a disservice to the public. People need to eat seafood at least twice a week, and should not generally worry about it. The seafood industry needs to be more proactive in trying to get media to tell more positive stories. They also need to educate consumers more, to show them that their fears are essentially baseless.

"Chance is always powerful. Let your hook always be cast; in the pool where you least expect it, there will be fish."
--Ovid