| Fish/Seafood Market |
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Excerpt: The change has been gradual and is based on a combination of factors. Fish store owners and wholesalers say the cost of fish relates directly to supply and demand. Federal regulations aimed at rebuilding groundfish stocks have reduced fishermen's days at sea and catch over the last decade. Ten years ago, fishermen could fish the seas more than 100 days a year. These days, fishermen can work 24 days a year at sea, resulting in less fish available for sale. Throw in high fuel costs, boat insurance, and vessel maintenance costs and you've got an expensive final product… "We're dinosaurs; we're dying," Kliss said when he was asked about the future of the neighborhood fish market. Besides the regulations and the escalation of prices, Kliss said, supermarkets have cut deep into the local markets' customer base. Convenience and one-stop shopping is a large part of our culture, he said… Diversification also is a key to the market's survival, Lewis and other market owners said. Years ago, as groundfish became scarce, customers began embracing farm-raised species such as salmon, tilapia, and arctic char, which Lewis now stocks. Another part of her business is the increased demand for prepared foods, like chowders and frozen dinners. "People want take-home things." It also helps to have a restaurant attached to the market, said Kathi Turner, who co-owns Turner's Seafood Grill & Market in Melrose and Turner's Seafood Market & Fish Fry in Gloucester. Over two dozen fisheries from around the world have been certified by MSC with dozens more currently under assessment, including Maryland striped bass. Harley Speir, a fisheries biologist with the Maryland Department of Natural Resources (MDNR) says the interest of big buyers like Wal-Mart in MSC-certified seafood is one reason MDNR is pursuing striped bass certification. He expects the multi-step process to be complete by the end of 2008, and if successful, MSC-labeled striped bass should hit the market in 2009. Speir says the label could heighten demand for striped bass and increase what local watermen get paid for the fish, a potential economic boost to Maryland. In addition to Wal-Mart, the last several years have seen a proliferation of retail outlets offering MSC-labeled products, including Whole Foods Market, Safeway, Costco, and Target… Representatives from the two main seafood counters at Baltimore's Cross Street Market say customers rarely inquire about the sustainability of the seafood they buy. They primarily ask about three things, says Louis Chagouris, owner of B & A Quality Seafood, a three-generation institution in the Market. "Whether it's fresh, whether it's wild or farmed, and how to cook it." Across the Inner Harbor at upscale chain grocer Whole Foods Market, despite a decidedly food savvy clientele, the fishmonger tells a similar story. Although they do sell MSC-labeled products like Alaskan salmon and Pacific halibut, he says few customers ask specifically for certified seafood. ------------------------------------------------------------- The question of whether farmed fish could be labeled organic -- especially carnivorous species such as salmon that live in open-ocean net pens and consume vast amounts of smaller fish -- has vexed scientists and federal regulators for years. The standards approved yesterday by the National Organic Standards Board would allow organic fish farmers to use wild fish as part of their feed mix provided it did not exceed 25 percent of the total and did not come from forage species, such as menhaden, that have declined sharply as the demand for farmed fish has skyrocketed. Aquaculture operations stretch from Hawaii to Maine in freshwater and near-shore areas, including bays. Some marine experts see open-ocean fish farming – the kind planned by Hubbs – as the future of the industry. Compared with near-shore aquaculture projects, those in federal waters – three to 200 miles from the coastline – would face less competition for space from residents, recreationalists and other interest groups. ------------------------------------------------------------- Almost everything sold in the shop is flash-frozen. Dozens of sauces and spices are also available. "It has a mixed meat taste," said Patterson. "It's white meat and dark meat at the same time. There are 10 different kinds of tastes in a turtle." Turtle brings a sweet taste to the table, said co-owner Sandra Easter. "It's really white meat with a really deep dark taste," said Easter. "Once most try it they really like it." |
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