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July 18, 2014 — National Geographic’s “Wicked Tuna: North vs. South” Premieres August 17th

It’s a whole new battlefield and the Northern captains must conquer new styles of fishing, treacherous waters and the wrath of the Outer Banks’ top fishermen. They’re gambling on what could be a massive payday … or a huge financial loss.

The long, cold winter has just hit New England, and while the bluefin tuna season has come to an end in Gloucester, Mass., it’s just getting started in the Outer Banks of North Carolina.

After a disappointing season, several of Gloucester’s top fishermen head south to try to salvage their finances by fishing for the elusive bluefin tuna in unfamiliar Carolina waters before the experienced locals beat them to the catch.

On the heels of its third and highest-rated season for hit series Wicked Tuna, National Geographic Channel pits Gloucester’s finest against good ol’ Southern fishermen in an exciting new series, Wicked Tuna: North vs. South, premiering Sunday, Aug. 17, at 10:00 p.m. ET/PT.

In order to succeed, the Gloucester rod-and-reel veterans will need to master the different method of fishing — greensticking, in which artificial squid are trolled from a 30-foot fiberglass pole in order to entice bluefin swimming near the surface — and best a fleet of North Carolina captains battling for the same catches.

Read the full story at MonstersandCritics.com

 

July 16, 2014 — An enormous lobster that’s been sitting in the tanks at a Scituate fish market is about to head back to the open ocean because the market’s owner apparently forgot that his oversized red crustacean is basically a giant buttery sandwich in a shell.

The Patriot Ledger reported that the soft-hearted fish market owner is Joby Norton, who runs Mullaney’s Fish Market and has had the lobster in his tank for about three weeks. In the time since, the report says Norton and his staff have named the shellfish “Luke” and estimated its age to be over 75-years old.

Unfortunately, that kind of heartwarming man-beast friendship is also warping Norton’s judgement. Norton told the Ledger that despite multiple offers to buy Luke, he and his staff decided they’re going to take him out on a lobster boat, “give him something to eat,” and drop him right back into the ocean depths where he came from.

That’s a huge mistake.

Read the full story at the Boston Globe

TAMPA, Fla. — July 16, 2014 — The following was released by the Gulf Seafood Marketing Coalition: Just in time for summer grilling and entertaining, the iconic Gulf shrimp season has officially arrived. From grilled to boiled to fried recipes, the Gulf Seafood Marketing Coalition (www.eatgulfseafood.com) predicts that Gulf shrimp fans can expect a plentiful supply this year as a result of extended growth periods. Extending growth periods is a common practice among the five Gulf States to ensure adequate supply.

“In our samples [that we collected], the abundances look better than the last couple of years,” said Chris Blankenship, Director of the Marine Resources Division of the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources and Program Administrator of the Alabama Seafood Marketing Commission. “We opened more waters mid-June with confidence that Gulf coastal harvests will be stronger and more bountiful due to the extended growth period.”

Long-adored for their exceptional and versatile flavor, there are five types of Gulf shrimp that can be found in the Gulf of Mexico waters.

Brown shrimp represents the majority of shrimp caught in the Gulf of Mexico and can be found throughout all five Gulf States year round, with peak season from May through September.
White shrimp is prized for its large size, tender texture and mild flavor. It’s great for shrimp boils, barbecue shrimp as well as other preparations where it can soak in the flavors of the dish allowing its texture to stand out. Peak season for white shrimp lasts from May through November.
Pink shrimp is tender and sweet, and make up the majority of Florida’s wild-caught shrimp. It’s the largest Gulf shrimp species. Its peak season is from January through June.
Rock shrimp is a deep-water cousin of the wild pink, brown and white shrimp. It’s named for its tough, rock-hard shell, which resembles a miniature lobster tail. Rock shrimp is most prevalent between July and November, peaking in September.
Royal red shrimp is unique for its deep red color and soft, delicate texture. It is harvested 40-60 miles off the Florida shore, which makes harvesting quantities limited. Peak season is from late summer to fall. Royal red and brown shrimp can be used interchangeably.

For the on-the-go Gulf shrimp fan, the Coalition has created a Gulf seafood finder app for iPhone and Android devices. The easy-to-use app provides listings of retail stores, restaurants, wholesalers that carry Gulf shrimp and other Gulf species. Additionally, Gulf seafood fans will find more than 100 recipes within the finder app that are searchable by species, preparation time and more.
Consider preparing the below summer shrimp recipe at your next gathering that is both flavorful and light, or visitwww.eatgulfseafood.com/recipes for more recipes ideas.

Basil Chimichurri Grilled Gulf Shrimp Skewers
Provided by Gulf Seafood Marketing Coalition and Louisiana Seafood Promotion & Marketing Board

Ingredients
4 lbs Gulf shrimp, peeled and deveined, tail off
6 cups cilantro leaves
6 cups fresh basil leaves
6 tbsp fresh oregano
6 garlic cloves, whole
4 jalapeños, seeded
½ cup shallots, sliced
2 tbsp cumin
6 tbsp sherry vinegar
6 tbsp lime juice
1 ½ tbsp black pepper
¾ cup olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions
To make the chimichurri sauce, combine cilantro, basil, oregano, garlic, jalapeños, shallots, cumin, sherry vinegar, lime juice and black pepper in a food processor. Process until a paste forms and drizzle olive oil until incorporated. Reserve 1 cup chimichurri to serve on the side.

Skewer each shrimp through the tail and then the head to form a “C”. Place skewers in a bowl, pour remaining chimichurri marinade over and toss to coat well. Marinate for at least 30 minutes or up to 3 hours before cooking.

Remove shrimp from marinade and season with salt and pepper. Grill shrimp over medium-hot grill and cook for about 1 minute on each side.

Serve with remaining chimichurri sauce on the side. Recipe yields 4 servings

For more information about the Gulf Seafood Marketing Coalition and the Gulf shrimp season, please contact Joanne Zaritsky at joannezaritsky@gmail.com, 850-224-1129 or 813-286-8390.

About Gulf Seafood Marketing Coalition
The Coalition provides a framework for the seafood community to coordinate marketing efforts among the Gulf States with emphasis on working with tourism boards, restaurants, retailers and chefs.  The Gulf & South Atlantic Fisheries Foundation, Inc. is coordinating the Gulf Seafood Marketing Coalition through funding provided by the Gulf States Marine Fisheries Commission’s (NOAA Award #NA10NMF4770481).  For more information, please visit www.eatgulfseafood.com and follow the Coalition on Facebook at Gulf Coast Seafood and Twitter at @eatgulfseafood .

About Gulf & South Atlantic Fisheries Foundation, Inc.
The Foundation is a private, regional nonprofit research organization with a general membership and Board of Trustees representing a wide spectrum of the commercial fishing industry throughout the southeast U.S.   Through the Foundation, the commercial seafood and fishing industry can collectively identify industry needs, and address those needs through appropriate research and other activities.  Representing the nine-state region from Virginia to Texas, the Foundation has sponsored more than 600 fisheries related research projects.  For more information, please visit www.gulfsouthfoundation.org .

July 15, 2014 — Few of us have gotten to know the whole scallop — the scallop with the hard exterior and little boot, the scallop that needs just a bit of cajoling to come out of its large, fortified shell. Watch, learn, and get shucking.

We're used to the softer side of scallops — to their pristine white, translucent muscles, displayed artfully atop a pile of ice at the fish market. We sometimes pay a few extra bucks per pound to take them home like this: trimmed, cleaned, and ready, with little thought about from whence they came. 

Few of us have gotten to know the whole scallop — the scallop with the hard exterior and little boot, the scallop that needs just a bit of cajoling to come out of its large, fortified shell. It's easier (and more rewarding) than you think. So, go ahead — watch, learn, and get shucking.

Read the full story and watch the video at Food52

 

 

June 20, 2014 — Think Media Studios, a media production company in Mayfield Heights, has agreed to a multi-platform distribution agreement with Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment and two other companies for its Sundance Film Festival award-winning film “Fishing Without Nets.”

The film, which tells the story of pirates in Somalia from the perspective of a struggling, young Somali fisherman, will be available later this year to own on Fox Digital HD and via rental on Video On Demand, Think Media announced. Via Alamo Drafthouse and TUGG, the film will receive a limited theatrical engagement. “Fishing Without Nets,” a co-production with New York-based Vice Media, was shot in Kenya for 10 weeks at the end of 2012 and the start of 2013.

Landing a distribution deal with Fox is a significant achievement for Think Media. “Fishing Without Nets” was the company’s first feature-length, fiction film.

“It’s been an incredible ride, one that we were happy to be taking with Vice,” said Brian Glazen, president of Think Media Studios, in a news release. “It has long been my goal to build a company with a team that has the capacity to do everything from commercial video to feature films and everything in between. This team has that capability, and we hope to continue to bring our passion projects to Cleveland. This city has so much to offer the film industry.”

Read the full story at Crain's Cleveland Business

June 11, 2014 — The Gulf of Mexico seafood community is losing Ewell Smith, one of the principal leaders responsible for bringing the Gulf seafood brand back from the brink of disaster, but gaining Margaret Henderson, one of the strongest seafood legislative advocates on Capitol Hill, as the new voice for the Gulf as the Executive Director of the Gulf Seafood Institute.

Stepping down from his role with GSI, Smith said, “It has been an honor to consult with the leadership of GSI since its inception and work side-by side with some of the Gulf’s most influential leaders. We have made great strides in gaining a national profile during these initial months. The next phase of growth is critical for the industry, I recommended Margaret to lead GSI’s efforts going forward. Having worked with her on seafood advocacy issues for almost a decade, I know firsthand her passion and extensive knowledge of the industry; abilities that will continue to help our fishing communities across the Gulf.”

Henderson is the current owner of Miami’s Henderson Strategies, Inc., a government relations consulting firm specializing in federal outreach and issue advocacy. Since 2011, Henderson has worked with numerous Gulf-focused seafood groups including: the Louisiana Seafood Promotion and Marketing Board, the Gulf Oyster Industry Council, the Louisiana Oyster Task Force and the Friends of the Fishermen Foundation.

Read the full story at the Gulf Seafood Institute

May 31, 2014 — Dolly Curtis will interview Ken Karl and Joe and Jack Kochiss regarding the discovery of an 1840 oystering barge from the Eastside River fishing docks in New York City to the Fair Haven section of New Haven on Sunday, June 1, at 10 p.m. on WPKN 89.5 FM .

After decades of attempts the oystering barge is about to be moved to a marine museum and restored for its significance. The primary people involved in the  project will be talking with Ms. Curtis  about the details.

Boaters and historians as well as those who love turning a challenge into a reality may be interested in hearing about the oystering barge. The broadcast takes place live and will be archived on dollycurtis.com.

“We are about to save a 125-year working boat from the late 19th century located by chance right here in Connecticut, unbeknownst to most of us, “Ms. Curtis said. “Also we are trying to fulfill a lifetime dream of Jack Kochiss and that alone makes this of much importance.”

Joe and jack Kochiss are Trumbull residents. Jack worked at Mystic Seaport for 25 years. He became an expert in commercial wooden boats in those many years while he was employed and writing publications and books on working wooden boats. Much of his writings are sought after, out of print and considered the “classics” on these working boats, according to Ms. Curtis.

“In this case we are saving an oystering barge of the late 1890s era from the New York City east side East River docks,” she said. “The wholesale fish markets were located there.

Read the full story from the Easton Courier

June 2, 2014 — If fish could sing, they'd surely croon many a good tune for retired fishery officer Randy Nelson.

Nelson accrued many honours and accolades throughout his 35 years serving and protecting British Columbia's marine creatures from poachers and polluters, both for his approach to the job and his efforts to resolve resource management disputes between the government and First Nations.

Working in enforcement, Nelson gained first-hand experience in the creative ways of poachers, whom he successfully outwitted time and time again — though it was often hard to share that knowledge with his superiors. While Nelson spent each day patrolling B.C.'s many remote areas, most of his managers were stuck behind their desks, far away from the frontline.

Two years after leaving his post as director of the Department of Fisheries and Oceans' Conservation and Protection Branch in B.C., Nelson was ready to write about his incredible and sometimes life-threatening experiences in the line of duty.

It turned into the book Poachers, Polluters and Politics: A Fishery Officer's Career, recently released by Harbour Publishing. Delivered in Nelson's light-hearted and entertaining way, it offers the reader a rare glimpse into the serious business of wildlife protection, and the sometimes frustrating bureaucracy within the federal fisheries department.

The Tyee caught up with Nelson for a chat. Our interview has been lightly edited for clarity.

Read the full story from The Tyee

May 24, 2014 — A scaly treatment for chronic wounds caused by diabetes and other circulatory disorders: See how fish skin is being used to help human tissue regenerate.

View the video at the Boston Globe

May 7, 2014 — The foilowing was released by the Gulf Seafood Marketing Coalition:

TAMPA, FLORIDA — Marking its third year at Cooking for Solutions at the Monterey Bay Aquarium, the Gulf Seafood Marketing Coalition (Coalition) is continuing the legacy of sharing wild, delicious Gulf seafood while highlighting its unique flavors and versatility at the annual event, held this year May 16 through 18 in Monterey, Calif.

Each year, the Monterey Bay Aquarium’s Cooking for Solutions event brings together celebrated chefs from across the country to highlight fine food and wine, while discovering ways to preserve the oceans.

Renowned chefs, including Chef Briana Sammut of Beach House Restaurant at Lovers Point in Pacific Grove, Calif.; former private chef to Oprah Chef Art Smith; Food Network Canada Star Chef John Ash; and Hawaii-based Kai Lanai Restaurant chef/owner and television personality Chef Sam Choy will be representing the Gulf of Mexico States by preparing fresh Gulf shrimp, provided by Cox’s Wholesale Seafood and Wood’s Fisheries. Both distributors’ shrimp are traceable via Gulf Seafood Trace, a program that allows consumers and retailers to discover their seafood’s story from boat to plate, ensuring that the species is sustainably managed.

Attendees can find Gulf shrimp at the Meet the Chefs reception on May 14, Sustainable Foods Institute 2014 Luncheon and Cooking for Solutions Gala on May 16, A Street Food Extravaganza on May 17, as well as DIY: Grilled Pizza with John Ash and DIY: Pupus and Poke with Sam Choy on May 18.

The Coalition’s continued support of Cooking for Solutions each year is rooted in the Gulf of Mexico’s commitment to maintaining a sustained ecosystem for generations to come. This year, among many sustainability practices already in place, the Gulf States Marine Fisheries Commission launched GulfFINFO, an all-inclusive website for everything consumers and chefs need to be confident that Gulf seafood is harvested from sustainable fisheries.

“With FINFO launching just earlier this year, this is an exciting time to be at Cooking for Solutions to share insight, information and appreciation about sustaining the wonderful resource of Gulf seafood for the future,” said Joanne McNeely Zaritsky, marketing director for the Gulf Seafood Marketing Coalition. “Both home and professional chefs already know and love Gulf seafood for its exceptional flavor and quality, and now FINFO offers a new resource to communicate the sustainability of Gulf seafood.”

FINFO is a compilation of the complex and potentially-confusing data from the Gulf of Mexico’s responsibly-managed fisheries, synthesized into easy-to-understand answers about the source of your seafood. 

Gulf of Mexico fisheries and organizations are constantly researching and monitoring seafood stocks to remain a leader in sustainability practices. Many of the Gulf States have received exemplary scores and designation for their enforcement groups. Gulf Coast seafood has been an integral part of our culture for decades, and the seafood community is dedicated to responsible fishing for future generations.

To extend the opportunity to enjoy succulent, sustainability-raised Gulf seafood at home, Chef John Ash is sharing his Grilled Gulf Shrimp Pizza recipe that he is preparing at the DIY workshop at Cooking for Solutions (recipe below).

For more information about the Gulf Seafood Marketing Coalition and its sustainable practices, please contact Joanne McNeely Zaritsky atjoanne.zaritsky@gmail.com, 850-224-1129 or 813-286-8390 or visit www.eatgulfseafood.com and follow the Coalition on Facebook at Gulf Coast Seafood and Twitter at @eatgulfseafood.

Grilled Gulf Shrimp Pizza
Provided to the Gulf Seafood Marketing Coalition by Chef John Ash

Ingredients for Dough
1 envelope (2½ teaspoons) active dry yeast
2 cups warm water
2 teaspoons sugar
1½ teaspoons table salt (or 3 teaspoons kosher salt)
½ cup finely-ground corn meal or whole wheat flour
3 tablespoons olive oil
4 – 4½ cups unbleached all-purpose flour

Ingredients for Toppings
1 pound peeled and deveined Gulf shrimp (21 – 25, depending on size)
Prepared pizza dough divided into six portions
¾ cup extra virgin olive oil for brushing and drizzling
2 cups loosely packed shredded Sonoma Jack cheese
½ cup freshly grated pecorino cheese
6 ounces fresh mozzarella, drained and sliced
3 cups canned and crushed tomatoes in puree, preferably with basil
⅓ cup coarsely chopped basil leaves
Big pinch of crushed red pepper flakes for each pizza

Slice the shrimp in half lengthwise.  Blanc for 1 minute in simmering salted water.  Drain and plunge into cold water to stop the cooking.  Drain again and set aside.  The shrimp will be just barely cooked at this point.

Prepare a two-level (one side cooler than the other) charcoal fire, setting the grill rack 4 inches or so above the coals.  Alternately, you can use a gas grill with one side hotter than the other. With a lightly floured work surface and rolling pin, roll the dough portion into 10 inch or so free-form circles as thinly as you can, about ¼-inch thick.  Don’t worry about the shape, as even thickness is the goal. Place them on a sheet pan divided by parchment or waxed paper.

When the coals are evenly lit and medium hot, brush the dough with olive oil and place it oiled side down onto the hot part of the grill.  Within a minute or so the dough will puff and bubble, the underside will stiffen and grill marks will appear.

Using tongs or a spatula check to see that it is not burning.  If so, move it to the cooler part of the grill.  Flip the crust over, onto the cooler part of the grill and quickly brush the grilled surface lightly with olive oil.  Spread a thin layer of the tomatoes on the dough and then quickly top with a bit of each of the cheeses, shrimp and basil.  Remember that you don’t need or want to cover the entire surface of the pizza.

Immediately put the hood down and cook for another minute or two or until the cheeses are melted.  Move pizza to a cutting board and cut into wedges and serve immediately. Cook remaining pizzas in the same manner.

Chef’s note:  When you have topped the pizzas if after a couple of minutes the cheese has not melted and bubbling a bit, either the coals were not hot enough or you have used too much cheese and toppings.  A longer time on the grill will only dry out the pizza and toughen it.  The ideal crust should be both chewy and crisp.  This is why a good 2-level fire is so important.

To make the pizza dough, in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a dough hook stir the yeast into the warm water with sugar.  After 5 minutes it should begin to bubble, then stir in the salt, corn meal and 1 tablespoon of the olive oil.  Add the flour, stirring at low speed until the dough forms a rough ball and pulls away from the sides of the bowl, about 4 minutes.  You may need to add a little flour or water here.  Let the dough rest in the bowl for 15 minutes.  It should be fairly soft.

Remove from the bowl and divide the dough into 6 equal pieces.  Gently round each piece into a ball and brush or rub with a little olive oil.  Place each into a zippered plastic storage bag and drizzle remaining olive oil (1 teaspoon or so) over each ball and seal the bags closed.  Let the balls sit for at least 30 minutes.  You can also refrigerate them overnight at this point and roll out and make pizzas the next day.  Sitting overnight actually gives you a better flavor in the dough.

If you’ve refrigerated them, plan to take them out of the refrigerator at least 1 hour before you plan to make the pizzas.  Alternately you can freeze the dough for up to 3 months.  Again, plan to let the dough thaw and come to room temperature before using.

Makes six 10-inch pizzas