CAPE ELIZABETH, Maine — August 31, 2013 — The Cape Elizabeth resort, along with a handful of other restaurants across the state, recently committed to feature at least one responsibly harvested fish species from the Gulf of Maine on their menu.
In the basement of the posh Inn by The Sea, executive chef Mitchell Kaldrovich conducts a fish fry.
He fillets a piece of white fish in a skillet as flames shoot up all around. The “nice, flakey fish” turns a golden brown and the chef plates it on a bed of quinoa tabbouleh with an artistic dash of yogurt lime sauce.
Moments later, as diners at Sea Glass restaurant overlooking the Atlantic Ocean delve into this succulent pollock entree, they nurture themselves and at the same time help sustain a healthy seafood ecology.
The Cape Elizabeth resort, along with a handful of other restaurants across the state, recently committed to feature at least one responsibly harvested fish species from the Gulf of Maine on their menu.
The intent is to relieve pressure on once plentiful but now sparse cod and haddock fisheries by focusing on fish such as dogfish, whiting and redfish, long considered understudies for the stars of the sea.
“We are changing people’s tastes so they will broaden their palates and be ready to eat what the fishermen bring in,” said Rauni Kew, public relations manager for the eco-conscious inn. “Because if they only have cod to bring in, they are all going to starve.”
This year, the commercial cod quota in the Gulf of Maine, which includes Massachusetts and New Hampshire, is 78 percent lower than last year. The term “overfishing” gets bandied about, but the culprit is as vast as the Atlantic, says Jen Levin, sustainable seafood program manager for the Gulf of Maine Research Institute.
“Fish populations have a dynamic and natural ecosystem that influences food and water temperatures and affects where they like to live,” said Levin. “Scientists are reticent to say, ‘Here’s the answer,’ there are so many different things going on with fish stock populations.”
To take the spotlight off fish that aren’t available and create demand for those that are, the institute went straight to the source.
In February, it launched a culinary partnership with Sea Glass and several Portland eateries such as Local 188 and Five Fifty-Five as well as The Jordan Pond House Restaurant on Mount Desert Island.
Read the full story and watch the video from the Bangor Daily News