The overall experience was excellent. The qualiy of food and presentation was higher than expected and we enjoyed it very much.
The mere pleasure of having 2 competent professionals take over my kitchen and leaving me to enjoy and share with the guests, was great.
We all learned a bit about food prep and Michael "lectured" about all of this in a very comforable pleasing experience. The presentation was great also as was the fact that the clean up was done by the time we had finished eating!
My cooking will forever seem boring compared to the unbelievable dinner you cooked last night! I'll have to book some cooking lessons with you!
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ARTICLE - ENDANGERED & SUSTAINABLE FISH GUIDE
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Article - Endangered & Sustainable Fish Guide
There are a number of factors which are affecting our waters and the species that live in them, many of which we consume on a daily basis. Some of these factors have affected the supplies of seafood, causing many once-abundant species to become extinct, or close to it.
Bycatch
Every year, tons of fish are caught unintentionally and are tossed back into oceans, dead or dying, for a number of reasons, including:
- they were not the kind of fish the fishermen were looking for
- there is no room on the boat to hold all of the fish caught
- they are too small to sell or are unmarketable
- fishermen may have improper fishing permits
The effect of bycatch is that:
- populations killed and thrown back are adversely affected
- food for other fish and birds are taken away
Overfishing
Overfishing means that fish are caught faster than they reproduce, lowering the population with each catch. This has caused many fisheries to collapse, as the numbers of fish remaining in our oceans and seas have dwindled to such a low point that it is no longer viable to fish.
Orange roughy and Chilean Sea Bass are now considered endangered. They take many years to come to maturity - some well over a hundred years. Shark and monkfish were once considered worthless bycatch, but are now overfished.
Below, is a guide for North American consumers, outlining a simple colour-coded guide for seafood. Many species are endangered or are in decline, others have high levels of contaminants, and should be avoided - these are in RED. Those species which are currently farmed or whose numbers are in abundance are in GREEN.
| Enjoy These Items | Acceptable Alternatives | Avoid These Items | |
| Abalone (U.S. Farmed) Arctic Char (Farmed, Recirculating System) Barramundi (U.S. Farmed) Capelin (Iceland) Catfish (U.S. Farmed) Clams (Farmed) Clams, Softshell/Steamers (Wild-caught) Cobia (U.S. Farmed) Cod, Pacific (Alaska Longline, Jig, Trap) Crab, Dungeness Crab, Kona (Australia) Crab, Stone Crayfish (U.S. Farmed) Croaker, Atlantic Giant Clam/Geoduck (Wild-caught) Halibut, Pacific Imitation Crab (Alaska) Lobster, Caribbean Spiny (Florida) Lobster, Spiny (California) Lobster, Spiny (Baja Mexico) Mackerel, King (U.S. Atlantic, U.S. Gulf of Mexico) Mackerel, Spanish (U.S. Atlantic, U.S. Gulf of Mexico) Mahi Mahi (U.S. Atlantic Troll, Pole-and-line) Mullet, Striped Mussels (Farmed) Oysters (Farmed) Perch, Yellow (Lake Erie) Pollock (Alaska) Rockfish, Black (California, Oregon, Washington) Sablefish/Black Cod (Alaska, British Columbia) Salmon (Alaska Wild-caught) Salmon Roe (Alaska Wild-caught) Sardines (U.S. Pacific) Scad, Big-eye (Hawaii) Scad, Mackerel (Hawaii) Scallops, Bay (Farmed) Sea Urchin Roe (Canada) Shrimp, Pink (Oregon) Spot Prawn (British Columbia) Squid, Longfin (U.S. Atlantic) Striped Bass (Farmed) Striped Bass (Wild-caught) Swordfish (Hawaii Harpoon, Handline) Swordfish (U.S., Canada Harpoon, Handline) Tilapia (U.S. Farmed) Trout, Rainbow (Farmed) Tuna, Albacore (U.S. Pacific, British Columbia, Hawaii Troll, Pole-and-line) Tuna, Albacore (Canned) (U.S. Pacific Troll, Pole-and-line) Tuna, Bigeye (U.S. Atlantic Troll, Pole-and-line) Tuna, Skipjack (Troll, Pole-and-line) Tuna, Yellowfin (U.S. Atlantic Troll, Pole-and-line) White Seabass Whitefish, Lake (Trap-net) Wreckfish |
Basa (Imported Farmed) Black Sea Bass Bluefish Bluenose Capelin (Canada) Caviar (U.S.) Clams, Atlantic Surf (Wild-caught) Clams, Hard (Wild-caught) Clams, Ocean Quahog (Wild-caught) Cod, Atlantic (Iceland, Northeast Arctic) Cod, Pacific (U.S. Pacific Trawled) Crab, Blue Crab, Jonah Crab, King (U.S.) Crab, Kona (Hawaii) Crab, Snow Croaker, Atlantic (U.S. Atlantic Trawled) Dogfish, Spiny (British Columbia) Flounder (U.S. Pacific) Grouper (Northwest Hawaiian Islands) Haddock (Hook-and-line) Hake, Silver, Red and Offshore Halibut, California (Hook-and-line, Bottom Trawl) Halibut, Greenland Herring, Atlantic Herring, Lake Imitation Crab (Except Alaska) Lingcod Lobster, American/Maine Lobster, Caribbean Spiny (Bahamas) Mahi Mahi (U.S.) Mahi Mahi (Imported Troll, Pole-and-line) Mahi Mahi (Hawaii) Marlin, Blue (Hawaii) Octopus (Hawaii) Octopus (Gulf of California) Opah (Hawaii Longline) Oysters (Wild-caught) Perch, Yellow (Lake Huron, Lake Ontario) Plaice, Alaska Pomfret, Bigscale (Hawaii Longline) Red Porgy (U.S.) Rockfish (Hook-and-line, Jig) Sablefish/Black Cod (California, Oregon, Washington) Salmon (Washington Wild-caught) Sanddab, Pacific Scallops, Sea (Wild-caught) Scup Sea Urchin Roe (California) Shrimp (U.S. Gulf of Mexico, U.S. South Atlantic Wild-caught) Shrimp (U.S. Farmed) Shrimp, Northern (U.S., Canadian Atlantic) Shrimp, Rock Smelt, Rainbow Snapper, Gray (Hawaii) Snapper, Gray, Lane, Mutton, Yellowtail (U.S.) Snapper, Pink (Northwest Hawaiian Islands) Snapper, Red (Northwest Hawaiian Islands) Snapper, Ruby (Northwest Hawaiian Islands) Sole (Pacific) Spearfish, Shortbill (Hawaii) Spot Prawn (U.S. Pacific) Squid Squid, Jumbo (Gulf of California) Squid, Shortfin (U.S. Atlantic) Sturgeon (U.S. Farmed) Sturgeon, White (Oregon, Washington Wild-caught) Swai (Imported Farmed) Swordfish (U.S. Longline) Swordfish (California, Oregon Drift Gillnet) Tilapia (Central America Farmed) Tilefish, Golden (U.S. Mid-Atlantic) Trevally/Jack (Hawaii) Trout, Lake (Lake Superior) Tuna, Albacore (Hawaii Longline) Tuna, Albacore/Skipjack (Canned) (Worldwide) Tuna, Bigeye (Troll, Pole-and-line) Tuna, Bigeye (U.S. Atlantic Longline) Tuna, Skipjack (Worldwide) Tuna, Skipjack (U.S. Atlantic, Hawaii Longline) Tuna, Tongol (Malaysia) Tuna, Tongol (Worldwide Troll, Pole-and-line) Tuna, Yellowfin (Worldwide, Except U.S. Atlantic Troll, Pole-and-line) Tuna, Yellowfin (U.S. Atlantic Longline) Wahoo Walleye (Lake Erie) Whitefish, Lake (Set Gillnet) Whitefish, Round (Wild-caught) Yellowtail (U.S. Farmed) |
Caviar (Imported) Chilean Seabass Cobia (Imported Farmed) Cod, Atlantic Cod, Pacific (Imported Pacific) Conch, Queen Corvina, Gulf (Gulf of California) Crab, King (Imported) Crayfish (Imported Farmed) Dogfish, Spiny (Except B.C.) Eel, Freshwater Flounder (Atlantic) Grenadier (U.S. Pacific) Grouper (Main Hawaiian Islands) Groupers (U.S. Atlantic, U.S. Gulf of Mexico) Haddock (Trawled) Hake, White Halibut, Atlantic Halibut, California (Set Gillnet) Lobster, Caribbean Spiny (Imported except Bahamas) Mahi Mahi (Imported Longline) Marlin, Blue (Imported) Marlin, Striped Monkfish Monkfish Liver Octopus, Common Opah (Imported Longline) Orange Roughy Plaice, American Pompano, Florida Rockfish (Pacific Trawled) Salmon (Farmed) Sea Turtles Sea Urchin Roe (Maine) Sharks Shrimp (Imported Farmed) Shrimp (Imported Wild-caught) Skates Snapper, Pink (Main Hawaiian Islands) Snapper, Red Snapper, Red (Imported) Snapper, Red (Main Hawaiian Islands) Snapper, Ruby (Main Hawaiian Islands) Snapper, Vermilion (U.S.) Sole (Atlantic) Spearfish, Shortbill (Imported) Sturgeon (Imported Wild-caught) Swordfish (Imported) Tilapia (China, Taiwan Farmed) Tilefish, Blueline (U.S. Gulf of Mexico, U.S. South Atlantic) Tilefish, Golden (U.S. Gulf of Mexico, U.S. South Atlantic) Totoaba (Gulf of California) Trout, Lake (Lake Huron, Lake Michigan) Tuna, Albacore (Worldwide, Except Hawaii Longline) Tuna, Bigeye (Worldwide, Except U.S. Atlantic Longline) Tuna, Bigeye/Tongol/Yellowfin (Canned) Tuna, Bluefin Tuna, Bluefin (Ranched) Tuna, Skipjack (Imported Longline) Tuna, Tongol (Worldwide Gillnet, Purse Seine) Tuna, Yellowfin (Longline, Purse Seine) Yellowtail (Australia Farmed) Yellowtail (Japan Farmed) |
We have also included links to organisations around the world who publish similar guides. Many restaurants have taken notice, and will only serve sustainable fish.
| Name of Organisation | Country |
| Monteray Bay Aquarium | USA |
| Marine Conservation Society | UK |
| SeaChoice | Canada |
| WWF Hong Kong | Hong Kong |
| Royal Forest & Bird Protection Society | New Zealand |
| Australian Marine Conservation Society | Australia |
| Living Oceans Society | Canada |