April 29, 2014 — Three years ago, the U.K. government-funded “Fishing for the Markets” study set out to find new ways of getting more of the unfamiliar and less-popular fish caught by English trawlers to market.
The study found that many species were discarded because few people wanted to eat them, although they were often perfectly edible and tasty. It also noted many examples of previously underutilized fish that have been successfully brought to market, including coley/saithe, pollock, grey mullet, megrim, squid and monkfish.
With a discard ban already in place in Europe for pelagic species and imminent for whitefish, the findings from the report have now gained new relevance.
Part of the study included interviews with around 100 key people from the fishing, fish production distribution, retailing and foodservice industries, to find out their views on seafood.
Many cited celebrity chef promotion and/or the effort of a small number of entrepreneurs with such success.
“Delia Smith (a famous U.K. cook) only had to mention monkfish and the very next day everyone was asking for some,” a fishmonger was quoted as saying. “There was a massive upsurge in demand for dab as a result of Hugh Fearnley Whittingstall’s ‘Fish Fight’,” said one fishing agent.
Leading fishmongers and fish-fryers with a recognized passion for seafood were also seen as influential in helping to stimulate market demand. Independent fishmongers were noted as a good source of information on which fish to buy, the quality of seafood and how best to prepare and cook it, but we need more of these.
A great deal of U.K. seafood is now bought at the supermarket fish counter, and while these are improving, the quality of service in many stores leaves a lot to be desired, and the choices are limited. This means that that the average consumer is only exposed to a few key species, which are not always in the best condition.
Read the full story at SeafoodSource.com