Sea Forger’s Chilipepper Rockfish Tacos
Of the 13 MSC certified species from the west coast groundfish trawl fishery, six of these are rockfish. Chilipepper rockfish, splitnose rockfish, widow rockfish, yellowtail rockfish, longspine thornyhead, and shortspine thornyhead were all previously listed as “avoid” species on the Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch guide however with the new MSC certification they are now all “good alternative” species. The new yellow label on these west coast rockfish has significantly broadened the sustainable rockfish options available to west coast chefs, consumers, and suppliers who were previously confined by a small number of hook and line caught rockfish species. There are more than 70 species of rockfish that live off the west coast and all of these species are very vulnerable to overfishing. Rockfish are long-lived, deep-water fish that can have a life span of 100 to 200 years. This long life span results in a slow growing and late maturing species and makes them extremely vulnerable to overfishing with most being caught before they have reproduced. With the new development of the catch shares program discussed in the previous post, and the major change in fishing gear used to catch these fish, the populations that were once devastated have been able to recover.
Image from westcaughtfishco.com
The most important thing to pay attention to when buying rockfish is the gear used to catch the fish. Handline caught rockfish are the most sustainable – handline caught black rockfish is a “Best Choice” option and all other handline caught rockfish are “Good Alternatives”. All trawl-caught rockfish are “Avoid” species due to their devastated populations, high levels of habitat damage, and the bycatch that results from bottom trawling for the species. Another thing to be aware of when buying rockfish is that they are often mislabeled as red snapper or Pacific snapper, but it is crucial to know that there are no true snappers on the west coast. The pink flesh of rockfish looks almost exactly like that of the beloved red snapper, creating confusion for many consumers. To make matters worse, the FDA allows it to be labeled “snapper”. While this brings up last years shocking report that one third of the fish in restaurants and stores is mislabeled it also reminds us of the major announcement that President Obama made recently about his plans to tackle black market fishing and seafood fraud. He is seeking immediate action through supply chain transparency and hopes that one day we will know with confidence the story behind the fish on our dinner plates.
Rockfish is a fish with a very firm flesh that boasts a light pink or white color giving off a very sweet and delicate taste that makes it great for a variety of preparations from the sophisticated to the classic fish and chips as well as being perfect for fish tacos!
Sea Forger delivers a fresh and satisfying recipe for Chilipepper Rockfish Tacos that will definitely satisfy your taste buds!
Sea Forger’s Chilipepper Rockfish Tacos
The Food Network also features and extremely simple yet elegant take on rockfish created by chef Robert Irvine. This pan-seared rockfish with lemon buerre blanc couldn’t be easier to prepare!
Food Network’s pan-seared rockfish with buerre blanc
While it is easy to find black rockfish which is a Best Choice option at many local Portland markets and stores such as New Seasons, Newman’s Seafood, Whole Foods and Flying Fish Co., it may take another few weeks for these six new MSC species to make their way into stores. Make sure to look out for these rockfish species in the coming weeks and go ahead and try these recipest to show your appreciation for all the hard work the West Coast Groundfish Trawl Fishery has done to help these species recover!
-Katherine
