Edible San Diego Issue 45 January/February 2018

All Hands on Deck
By Ned Bell
{Edible Reads}
When my middle son, Max, was four, my
wife, Kate, and I took him to Maui. As our
plane descended through the clouds, and
he caught his first glimpse of a turquoise
Pacific, he turned to me and said, “Daddy,
what’s your favorite fish in the ocean that
we’re allowed to eat?”
We worry all the time as parents about
whether we’re getting it all wrong, so
moments like that are gold. I never lecture
my kids about sustainable seafood. But
Max was around me enough to listen and
absorb, as I chatted with fishers at the
wharf, gave cooking demos, and engaged
with diners at my restaurant about menu
items such as octopus bacon, sea lettuce,
and geoduck. He could not yet read or
write, but already he understood the
importance of making good choices when
we take food from the ocean.
Eating seafood responsibly is not about
restricting your options; it’s about
opening your mind (and fridge) to a vast
array of fish and shellfish that you might
not have considered before. In North
America, we’re so fixated on the big
four—cod, tuna, salmon, and shrimp—
that we risk consuming these species to
the point of no return.
On the Pacific coast, we’re blessed with an
abundance of healthy and well-managed
wild species, and the commercial fishers are
increasingly moving away from practices
that put pressure on marine habitat and
creatures—and ultimately their livelihood.
The ocean is an interdependent ecosystem
where it’s as important to protect the coral
on the seabed as it is to minimize the risks
to seabirds and other marine creatures of
being entrapped with the target catch. As
a father of three, my dream is that we all
play our part so future generations can
enjoy the same fish and shellfish that we do
today. By asking where our seafood comes
from and how it was caught—then pulling
out our wallets only when we’re satisfied
with the answers—we have tremendous
power to influence the fishing industry.
And that’s what this book is all about.
I want to simplify your life by sharing
delicious recipes, easy techniques, and
straightforward sustainability guidelines
around Pacific species. These recipes are
nutrient-dense and plant-based with a focus
on sustainable seafood. I know change can
be daunting—it took me close to 20 years
to go a hundred percent ocean friendly.
But I’m hoping that by sharing my journey,
I can help get you there faster. With the
guidance of my sustainability partners
Ocean Wise, SeaChoice, Seafood Watch,
and the Marine Stewardship Council, I’ve
identified a collection of species that are
accessible to most home cooks and relatively
straightforward to prepare. They also reflect
my West Coast roots, culinary adventures,
and passion for the Pacific Ocean. You’ll
find in these pages sustainable, wild Pacific
fish and shellfish, as well as responsibly
farmed species, which have less impact on
the environment, provide a livelihood for
fishers from California to Alaska, and help
us eat healthy for a better quality of life.
13 Ways to Make Sustainable
Seafood Choices
1. Get to know your fishmonger. By asking
what’s freshest and in season, you can stick to
the best seafood options from local waters.
2. Just ask, “Is this fish sustainable?” If
your server or fish retailer doesn’t know,
you probably have your answer. Next, ask
where it’s from, how it’s harvested, and if
it’s certified.
3. Download a sustainable seafood app
onto your smartphone for instant info
on every species. Ocean Wise, Seafood
Watch, msc [Marine Stewardship
Council], and SeaChoice all have great
smartphone tools.
Copyright 2017 Chefs for Oceans. Recipes copyright 2017 by Ned Bell. Excerpted from Lure: Sustainable
Seafood Recipes from the West Coast, by Ned Bell with Valerie Howes. Republished with permission from
Figure 1 Publishing Inc.
January-February 2018 edible San Diego 35