Page 17 - Vol.36-No.6 issue

FISHERIES

seem unfamiliar or needlessly com-
plicated, recipes that may require a bit
more convincing. Cooking a whole fish
is something many people would prob-
ably not appreciate especially if there
is no early history of eating seafood.
Cooking a whole fish make it nearly
impossible to overcook and dry out the
fish. Anyway, in most fish markets and
es are becoming more available on the seafood shops there are staff who would
market consumers started to consider clean the fish and have it ready for frying
both wild-capture and aquaculture to at home. However, out of experience, a
be acceptable ways of producing fish fish cooked in its entirety is much more
and other seafood products. Some ques- delicious than one that has been filleted
tions may arise as to preferences by age first or cut into several pieces or cubes.
groups. It is believed that the older gen- In fish markets, whole fish may be scaled
eration have the strongest preference and gutted and made boneless and
for wild fish and seafood while younger not needing more actions before home
During the period 1986 to 1995 about groups may have no specific preference cooking. Also, in restaurants, some of
whom would offer various forms of sea-
75 percent of all landings was for hu- when considering consuming seafood. food dishes according to the demands
man consumption rising to 91 percent 5. TIPS ON HOW TO SELECT of the customers. However, there is also
in 2018.The driving force behind this SEAFOOD DISHES the probability that some restaurants
increase is a combination of rising in- may offer certain high value species to
comes and urbanization, linked with the As consumption of seafood has grown customers, while the delivered seafood
expansion of fish production and im- in recent years, it should be noted that
proved distribution channels as well as in some supermarkets, or the neighbor-
rising awareness of the nutritious values hood fish-shops it was found that misla-
of seafood. In per capita terms, food fish beling of seafood species is practiced
consumption has grown from 9.0 kg/per to the unsuspecting customer. Seafood
annum in 1961 to 20.2 kg/per annum in mislabeling by having labeled cheaper
2015, at an average rate of about 1.5 per- quality fish possibly due to less desira-
cent per year. Preliminary estimates for ble, like mislabeling catfish or tilapia to
2016 and 2017 point to further growth to be red snapper and grouper. This prob-
about 20.3kg/per annum and 20.5 kg/ lem may happen with a few specific spe-
per annum respectively. The world ap- cies rather than a general problem or
petite for fish and fish products shows no possibly unintentional. However, if the dish is of cheaper quality. The sauces
sign of slowing. This shows the growing substitutes are farmed species of the and other ingredients added may cov-
role of fisheries and aquaculture in pro- lower quality it could be intentional. er-up if the dish was actually what was
viding food, raising nutrition awareness ordered. In the meantime, there are in-
and employment as well as investments ternational organizations such as the Ma-
in the various activities in service of the rine Stewardship Council as well as the
industry.
Aquaculture Stewardship Councils both
4. CHANGING TASTES BETWEEN of whom set standards to sustainable
WILD OVER FARMED SEAFOOD fishing as well as promote sustainable
Generally speaking consumers of aquaculture. Friend of the Sea is another
seafood appears to have no strong pref- organization that certifies seafood prod-
erence for either farmed or wild fish. ucts and services from wild or farmed
Consumers consider both wild and cul- fisheries and insure sustainability of the
tured to be acceptable as to the way it There are certain seafood recipes that resources. Also in Saudi Arabia, there is
is produced. Some consumers may are immediately appealing, beloved by a national organization for aquaculture
find that seafood is better on the basis most and attainable by all. They tend to certification and labeling scheme on re-
it was produced in a way which is safer be easy, comforting, and delicious-look- sponsible aquaculture practices and its
for the environment compared to the ing. Also there are recipes that may not acronym (ASMAQ). It is established to
other produced sources of protein. As immediately inspire because they may insure quality of seafood produces on
times passes with both seafood sourc- the market. As far as prices of wild or
Vol. 36 No. 6 15