3,556 metric tons of fish sounds like a whole lot of fish, but it's not. That is the annual tonnage that the Patagonian toothfish (aka Chilean sea bass) fishery off the coast on the Arctic Isle of Georgia is certified to catch. Those 3,556 metric tons are considered to be the only sustainable Chilean sea bass in the world. (To put things in perspective: Pacific cod fisheries are certified to catch 84,733 metric tons annually. Alaskan salmon: 320,308 metric tons)
Because Chilean sea bass is so scarce, I haven't eaten the stuff in years. We don't call for it in the magazine. Chefs nationwide have boycotted it. My favorite fish shop, Wild Edibles, won't carry the fish. In fact, it had been so long since I'd had any that I'd forgotten what it tastes like.
Last night I stopped by that fish shop to catch me some dinner. Steve Schafer, the fishmonger, had a twinkle in his eye. When I asked him what he had on offer, he pointed to a meaty and solid white fillet of, gasp, CHILEAN SEA BASS! Steve had scored a small portion of those prized 3,556 tons. I had to try it.
I have to admit, I feel a little dirty. True, the fish I ate for dinner is part of the acceptable catch. It comes from a fishery that has been internationally recognized by the Marine Stewardship Council for doing the right thing. But the species is still endangered, so maybe I shouldn't be eating it at all. Maybe we shouldn't be catching it at all. Maybe we shouldn't be applauding those who do, even if they are doing so in an ecologically conscious way.
All this went through my head as I sat down to some of the most delicious fish I've eaten in ten years. The big white flakes of tender flesh reminded me why it became endangered in the first place: It's awesome.
As I finished my dinner I came to a resolution. I am going to climb right back onto the wagon—no more Chilean sea bass, sustainably caught or otherwise. It's just too good to let it go the way of the dodo. I hope that ten years from now, I'll be able to eat toothfish again, guilt-free. Until then, it'll be über-sustainable hake (.pdf link) for me.
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