Strengthening New England’s fisheries one bite at a time

Jeanne O'Rourke | July 31, 2018 | Newsletters

John Hagan

President

To accomplish our goal of creating a more sustainable world, Manomet seeks to get more people to join in—to learn, to care, to take action. At our Future of Fishing seafood tasting last Thursday in Boston, we were able to bring together new and old friends to learn about—and taste—how we can strengthen the fisheries in the Gulf of Maine.

Jared Auerbach, Red’s Best

From scientists to fishermen to chefs, many of the attendees at The Future of Fishing had a story to tell about how they were playing a part in sustaining this critical ecosystem. “This event proves that there are a lot of people who are looking to do the right thing going forward,” said Jared Auerbach, the CEO of Red’s Best and our event partner. Jared added that “Red’s Best is a platform to sustain fishermen and keep this important part of our culture and heritage going, and allow consumers a platform to interact with the Gulf of Maine for now and hopefully for centuries on.”

Some of the best stories from the evening were told through sight, smell, and taste. With 11 different seafood dishes available to taste, plus cupcakes from Sweet Teez Bakery, rugelach from QuickSilver Baking Co., beer from Harpoon Brewery, cheese from Cabot Creamery, and sausages from Round the Bend Farm, there was something for everyone.

Guests were welcomed by a boat of oysters and little-neck clams from Island Creek Oyster, which were slurped down as quickly as they were shucked. Benedetto chef Michael Pagliarini wowed the crowd with his Fresh Baked Focaccia with Spicy Green Crab Maionese (40 lbs. of green crabs which became stock and then was reduced to create a green crab essence), tomatoes, sweet corn, and basil. Cambridge’s ArtBar livened up everyone’s palate with a Black Sea Bass Sashimi, made with kimchi and spicy wontons. And the students from Future Chefs transported everyone to Spain with their Mejillones (mussels) en Escabeche. The delicious dishes were rounded out by Lobster Bisque with Fresh Lobster Salad from KITCHEN from Boston Public Market, Korean Cucumber and Sea Vegetable Salad from Ocean Approved, and Smoked Eel from American Unagi.

Attendees also were able to take part in our Cod vs. Dogfish blind taste test—both mild, flaky white fish; however, dogfish is vastly underused in the U.S. Cod edged out dogfish, with cod getting 40 votes vs. 27 votes for dogfish. Two people preferred neither and two preferred both. The dogfish offered a different texture and stronger (oilier) flavor, which derives from how these two species swim. Dogfish is thriving in the Gulf of Maine, filling an ecological “hole” left by overharvested species. We export dogfish to Europe (often used in foods such as ‘fish-n-chips’), which makes little sense when we import 90% of the seafood we consume.

Island Creek Oyster shucked their delicious oysters.

The students from Future Chefs wowed everyone with their mussels.

Is it just us or do you love the look of Sweet Teez's lemon cupcakes?

After the sun set on Boston’s Fish Pier, we know that everyone at the event now has their own story to tell. For some, the story might be about the first time they met a lobsterman. For others, it might be that this event was where they first started to prioritize eating fish from the Gulf of Maine. No matter what the story is, we hope that it gets shared far and wide. By doing that, we can all do our part to keep the Gulf of Maine and New England’s fishing communities thriving in the face of change.

The Future of Fishing would not have been possible without the hard work of our event committee and our sponsors. Manomet thanks our event co-chairs Nancy Dempze (Board Chair) and Dan Sarles (Trustee), as well as committee members Tony Howland (Trustee), Emily Hunnewell (Councilor), Jo-Ann Lovejoy (Councilor), Willy Osborn (Trustee) and Dean Steeger (Trustee). CBiz, Eaglemere Foundation, Hemenway & Barnes, Howland Capital, and Walden Assets all provided invaluable support.

To view more photos from the event, check out our Facebook album.

Why did Manomet host The Future of Fishing?

The Gulf of Maine is one of the richest and most complex oceans on earth. It extends from Cape Cod to the Bay of Fundy. It’s flanked on the southeast by the shallow Georges Bank and the northeast by the Scotian Shelf. As if carved by a large knife, a deep “valley” called the Northeast Channel splits the two. Through this canyon spills cold water from the Labrador Current that originates over a thousand miles away off the icy Greenland coast. It’s this cold, nutrient-rich water that makes the Gulf of Maine so uniquely productive.

Today, the Gulf of Maine is warming faster than 99% of the world’s oceans. Why? Increased glacial meltwater from the Greenland ice sheet is disrupting North Atlantic ocean currents and causing the Labrador Current to weaken. At the same time, the warmer Gulf Stream from the south is inching northward and mixing with the Labrador Current.

Not surprisingly, the fish in the Gulf are changing. Some valuable species, such as black sea bass, are moving in. Cold-water species, such as northern shrimp and lobster, are moving further north. Invasive species, like the European green crab which is eating and burrowing its way through the ecosystem, are thriving in the warmer water. Overfishing has also played a role in changing the biology of the Gulf. It’s a complex story. But one thing we know: one of the world’s greatest marine ecosystems is changing fast.

Still, this great ecosystem can continue to be a source of healthy, delicious fish, if we adapt along with the system. We need to be open to new wild-caught species, like dogfish, that taste great and abound in these warming waters. And by expanding aquaculture, the Gulf of Maine can produce even more shellfish, such as oysters, scallops, and clams.