Posted by Casson on Jun 15, 2009 in
Uncategorized 
Hail to the reefs
On Friday, June 12, 2009, President Barack Obama announced “National Oceans Month.” This was a powerful gesture, and will no doubt serve to increase awareness of our current plight. I applaud the President for making a public statement about this tremendously important issue. Quoting directly from the proclamation: “we celebrate these vast spaces and the myriad ways they sustain life. We also pledge to preserve them and commend all those who are engaged in efforts to meet this end.”
Hear, hear!
But, alas — I wouldn’t be a blogger if I didn’t use my little cyber-soapbox to pick, prod, and critique. So, in the spirit of constructive criticism, I’d like to point out a minor issue that I feel merits a bit of discussion:
There is no such thing as a “national ocean.”
What, this isn't good enough?
Now, I can already hear the whistling of the incoming artillery that my snarky little comment has invited. “It’s a month about national recognition for the oceans, not recognition for national oceans,” or “He’s only the President of one country, he can only make national statements.” I know, I know. But bear with me for a minute.
It’s not that I don’t feel that “National Oceans Month” is important. It is. I’m ecstatic that President Obama has taken the time to affix federal letterhead to his views on our planet’s seas. It is, as I opined earlier, a very good thing.
The problem is that oceans are not national. They are the very definition, in fact, of international. And national proclamations won’t fix them.
Blue ocean, red ocean
The reasons behind many of our ocean’s most imposing environmental challenges are international in nature. Ocean acidification, a creeping decrease in pH that spawns from climate change, pollution, and overfishing, is not the fault of any one country, nor can it be solved by any one government. Solving this problem will take the cooperative action of all the world’s nations.
Bluefin tuna, a favorite punching-bag subject of mine, is similar in nature. The bluefin is a migratory, pelagic species. It does not spend its entire life within the exclusive economic zone of any one country. International agreements that are in place to “manage” it continue to fail in any number of ways. For example, ICCAT (the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas) is a multi-state body tasked with managing bluefin tuna stocks in the Mediterranean and surrounding waters. Unfortunately, it has proven to be a toothless paper tiger whose enforcement prowess is somewhere between the Keystone Cops and the guy who sends you to jail in Monopoly.
Arrr! We've come fer yer orange roughy!
Pirate fishing in the Southern Ocean, across the South Pacific, and along the African coast is perpetrated by ships from dozens of countries, many flying flags of convenience. These illegal catches are taken from flagging fish stocks and are landed in backwater ports where many strangely well-off harbormasters have a curious amnesia when it comes to remembering to record landings in log books.
Addressing these types of issues through the instrument of national policy will land only a glancing blow at best. If President Obama truly wants to be a leader in the realm of ocean conservation (and I, for one, believe he does), he needs to approach these issues from an international perspective.
Ocean acidification? Get real on climate change. Go to Copenhagen in December willing to make a real commitment. Throw out the ineffectual Waxman-Markey Bill and actually work with the international community to reduce carbon emissions by a meaningful amount.
Put me down! I'm endangered!
Bluefin tuna? Sponsor its inclusion under CITES (the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species). That will tighten our import regulations as well as give the patrols in the Atlantic and the Mediterranean the power and resources they need to save this animal from total extinction.
Pirate fishing? Push for international agreements that require chain-of-custody documentation for the seafood trade. Promote the development of international certification standards that require full transparency. Hold countries like Liberia, the Bahamas, and Panama responsible for the illegal actions of ships that are registered under their flags. And most importantly, lead an international effort to establish no-take zones in spawning grounds and environmentally sensitive areas throughout the world’s oceans.
It's an international ball game
It’s true, Obama can only speak for one country, not for the world. But addressing ocean conservation this way underscores the unfortunate tendency of the United States government to approach climate change and other mammoth (no pun intended) issues from a unilateral perspective. This indefensible promotion of environmental isolationism is precisely the perspective the White House was employing when Reagan dismissed UNCLOS, not to mention when Bush emasculated Kyoto.
Last time I checked, the United States still carried a pretty big stick in the international arena. If our government got serious about the idea that our globe is in fact global, we could make major changes… we might even be able to heal our oceans.
It’s great to have a National Oceans Month — it’s an important step, and it’s a whole lot better than nothing. But if we’re serious about this, it needs to be International… and it needs to be a Year.
Tags: acidification, barack, bluefin, change, climate, convenience, copenhagen, flag, ICCAT, kyoto, liberia, markey, month, national, obama, oceans, pirate, president, proclamation, UNCLOS, waxman, waxman-markey
Posted by Casson on May 16, 2009 in
Uncategorized 
The contest to submit a sustainable replacement for unagi is now closed! Thank you everyone who entered, either here on the blog or via Twitter.
We’ve received a number of great ideas. Chef Kin Lui of Tataki Sushi Bar will be experimenting with the different ingredients that were suggested. The winner will receive a free dinner for two at Tataki and a signed copy of my book.
I’ll be in touch! Thanks again for entering!
Posted by Casson on Apr 17, 2009 in
Uncategorized 
This is a big moment for me. I grew up going to the Seattle Aquarium — it’s where I first feel in love with the mysteries of the deep. So to be invited back to give a presentation on Sustainable Sushi is a huge honor for me. Thanks!
Kin Lui, chef-owner of Tataki Sushi Bar, will be joining me for part of this event. In the morning we will be preparing a private lunch for the members of the Seattle Aquarium Board of Trustees, and then there will be a public book signing and discussion from 1pm to 3pm. I hope to see you all there!
Posted by Casson on Apr 17, 2009 in
Uncategorized 
I’ll be signing at Inner Chapters Bookstore and Cafe (419 Fairview St in Seattle, WA) at 6:30 tonight. Hope to see some people there! Should be a nice little discussion (as long as I can find a way not to get seasick on that strangely sloping floor.)
It’s cloudy today, and around fifty-four degrees. Ahh, it’s good to be back in the Pacific Northwest.
Posted by Casson on Apr 11, 2009 in
Uncategorized It’s been way too long since my last post. First and foremost, apologies for dropping off the map like that. However, I’ve now officially returned from my extended hiatus and will be resuming blog postings and updates to Sustainable Sushi entries as before on a regular basis.
Thanks to everyone that showed up yesterday for the signing at Poor Richard’s Bookstore in Colorado Springs, CO. A solid turn out!
Next singing is on Monday, Apr 13th, at the Boulder Bookstore in Boulder, CO, from 7:30 to 9. It will be more of a presentation-style event, as compared to a strict signing, with a large amount of time set aside for discussion and Q&A.
Hope to see all you Boulder-area sushi fans there!
Tags: boulder, colorado, signing, tour
Posted by Casson on Mar 20, 2009 in
News and Announcements,
Uncategorized Another very quick note (I’m still out of the country and internet access is spotty so I can’t do much full-on blogging):
Jaden Hair, that magnanimous Tampa-based goddess of nouveau-Asian cooking, just wrote a flattering little piece about a conversation that she and I had a couple weeks back. Great to know that some high-level foodies and journos are openly concerned about and interested in sustainability, even when it comes to sushi. Check out the article here.
Jaden’s blog, www.steamykitchen.com, is hugely popular and a great source of information for those interested in the contemporary stylings of Asian cuisine. I encourage you all to check it out. Also, I’ve heard rumors that she’s got a new cookbook coming out in the next few months… but which kinds of fish is she going to be cooking with? I guess we’ll see…!
Posted by Casson on Mar 19, 2009 in
News and Announcements,
Uncategorized Just a quick post for anyone in the CO Springs / Denver / Boulder area. I’ll be prattling on and signing books in early to mid-April in your neck of the woods. As of now, we’re looking at:
April 10: Poor Richard’s Bookstore, Colorado Springs. 5pm – 7:30pm.
April 13: Boulder Bookstore, Boulder. 7:30pm – 9pm.
There will likely be signing at the Denver Downtown Aquarium as well, but the date/time is still a bit sketchy. More info when I’ve got it.
Hope to see at least one or two of you there!
Those of you that follow my musings on the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) know that I tend to waffle a bit on this subject and am quite vocal about not giving the organization my full support. This is a great example of why.
A recent press release from the MSC states that “the Northwest Atlantic Canadian longline and harpoon swordfish (Xiphias gladius) fisheries have announced their entry into the full assessment process for MSC certification.” Ordinarily, this would be something that I would see as a positive step. MSC certification, while not a perfect system, tends to help identify fisheries that have stronger levels of scientific rigor in assessment and quote management, and are generally more sustainable overall.
MSC certification for North Atlantic Canadian swordfish, however, may not be cause for celebration.
It’s important to note that this certification is covering not one fishery per se, but rather two fisheries that are drawing on the same population. What I mean is that the certification extends to encompass two distinct fleets — a flotilla of swordfish longliners, and a small navy of swordfish harpoon boats.
These two fisheries target the same swordfish populations but do so in radically different manners. The longlines, which take the lion’s share of the overall quota (90%), use similar gear to that which has caused such problems in Pacific tuna fisheries. In essence, these are sturdy ropes, often several miles in length, which consist of countless hooks that can indiscriminately impact any number of other co-habiting species, such as sharks and whales. Longlines are problematic by their very nature, as there is simply no easy way to prevent non-target species from biting at these hooks (and subsequently dying.)
The harpooners, by contrast, use what is potentially the most precise type of fishing gear on the planet. Harpooners search for an appropriate target, scope it for size, and shoot to kill. There is virtually no bycatch in a harpoon swordfish fishery as the fishermen have already identified and sized their quarry before the harpoon is launched. To top it off, there is a marked quality difference between harpooned and longlined swordfish — harpooned swordfish tends to be firmer and less “washed out” than longlined product. Unfortunately, it is all mixed together before export, and consumers are never given enough point-of-sale information to identify the particularities of the swordfish at their local fish market.
Currently, the harpooners are in difficult straits. The Cape Sable Harpoon Fisherman’s Association, which represents the few old salts that still fish in this time-honored fashion, is continually being squeezed out by the expanding longline fishery. In fact, the Canadian government is moving to strip the harpooners of even more of their tiny share of the total quota. This would effectively replace the few remaining harpoon boats with additional longline boats, and result in a higher level of bycatch overall.
The problem with this upcoming MSC certification is that, as it is applicable to both fisheries, it continues to downplay the important differences between them. Harpooned swordfish needs to be set above what the longliners are bringing in, not mixed in with it and forgotten. Not only that, but what does this say about the rigor of the MSC itself, knowing that these longliners are able to attain certification even though their bycatch levels are unacceptably high?
The bottom line: Consumers need to be able to differentiate the two products appropriately as well as understand the ramifications of the methods used by the two fisheries. The MSC, which so loftily prides itself on transparency and traceability, isn’t going to help this time. In fact, by giving a green light to the longliners, it’s just going to make things worse.
Tags: canada, cape sable, certify, harpoon, longline, marine stewardship counctil, msc, swordfish
Posted by Casson on Mar 3, 2009 in
Uncategorized So, something to keep in mind — with me, flattery will get you everywhere.
That’s precisely why the magnanimous Eddie Gehman Kohan, author of Obama Foodorama, the nation’s quintessential commentary on the First Kitchen and Obama food policy, has now earned herself a series of free dinners at my restaurant, Tataki Sushi and Sake Bar.
She hit me up a while back for some comments on what we of the Obama Age could do to get things back on track for our fisheries, from both a policy and a gastronomic standpoint. Little did I know she’s take my ramblings and festoon them with praise and pomp.
The article has to do with farmed salmon (don’t eat them), American fish in general (eat them), and bluefin tuna (don’t eat them). I padded it out a bit, but that’s the jist of it. Check it out here.
But hey, like I said before, this stuff totally works on me. I’ve been all puffed up all day after reading her post and seeing that ego-pumping image she came up with. And you know what? I’m gonna post it here. Sure, maybe it’s egotistical to bathe in the glow of this kind of waaaaay-overblown tribute, but hell, how many opportunities am I ever gonna have?
Shepard Fairey — the worm has turned, my friend.
Posted by Casson on Mar 3, 2009 in
Uncategorized A big thank-you to everyone who came and said hello during my signing of Sustainable Sushi at the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History last Saturday. What an incredible experience!
I’ll be back on the East Coast for a number of additional signings in April. More info to come when the dates are finalized.
