Rick Moonen, the seafood chef-activist, said that when we create blackened redfish, we didn’t know that res drum would be almost drummed out of existence. Moonen has written a book which is perhaps the most ambitious attempt yet at an environmental consumer’s guide to seafood. Working with the Environmental Defense Fund, Moonen and co-author Roy Finamore sought to write a definitive seafood cookbook that also informs about the ecological con-sequences of seafood overharvesting and how consumers can change it.
Teresa Ish, a project manager with the Environmental Defense Fund, said that the industry right now recognizes the importance of sustainability. They’re willing to work with us on it, which is a real change in the climate. John Hocevar, an oceans campaigner with Greenpeace, told that we al looking for different data which is most important. He added that there is a furious debate over whether recreational fishing is too high and holding back even more flounder population growth. According to him fishermen insist flounder have peaked, but most in the environmental community support federal officials who say the catch still needs to be restricted.
Linda O’Dierno, the department’s seafood marketing coordinator, informed that they are dealing primarily with harvesting and processing, ensuring that fish are harvested in an environmentally sound manner, that all the rules and regulations are being followed. According to O’Dierno the proliferation of seafood lists is confusing for consumers, because not all fully explain the reasoning behind their rankings.
