Chilean sea bass

I just tried Chilean sea bass for the first time the other night. WOW! That is surely the best fish there is. I really don't understand why so many recipes call for such strong flavors with it. I wanted to taste it unadulterated for my first try, so, oil and butter in a screamin hot pan, just a little sea salt and fresh cracked pepper. I'm glad I went minimalist with it, as the flavor is really something to enjoy without being covered up. At 20 dollars a pound, it's not going to be a regular thing, but it sure is a special once in a while treat.
 
Joe 

it is good--however--it is EXTREMELY overfished and is listed as "Avoid" in the Monterey Bay Aquariums list of seafood that is or is not sustainable--- /www.montereybayaquarium.org/cr/SeafoodWatch/web/sfw_factsheet.aspx?gid=6

From what I understand, there's really no such thing as "Chilean Sea Bass".  More than likely, you're getting something called "Patagonian Toothfish".   Either way, this fish is in serious danger of extinction by overfishing, and conservationists are advising to avoid eating it as it's not currently sustainable.  By purchasing it, you're supporting illegal harvesting.  I happen to believe these reports, and I do not purchase this fish. 

I do not purchase nor, do I order in a restaurant the fish known as "Chilean Sea Bass". This fish was given this name because the name, "Patagonian Toothfish" sounded more like a sea monster and people would be turned off from buying it.
So, now it's on the endangered species list because of overfishing.
Please! Let's all do our small part to help save our earth!

Patagonian toothfish is the most common of the various species commercially dubbed Chilean sea bass. None of the species sold as Chilean sea bass is in any way related to the various saltwater basses.
 
The Patagonian toothfish is not on any endangered species list, and there is one area of the world where scientists from the London-based Marine Stewardship Council agree the Patagonian toothfish population is sustainable (the South Georgia and South Sandwich islands in the South pacific near Antarctica). But there's no sure way of knowing whether fish being sold as Chilean sea bass actually came from that area.
 
The good thing about this fish is that despite the fact that it is virtually flavorless it is almost impossible to overcook because of its high fat content (although I can think of a couple of people I know who could easily manage to do so).
 
Me? I'll stay away from this fish as I do not care to be an enabler of poachers (not the cooking variety) and over fishing.
 
 

It is fished legally, and illegally. Take care of the law breakers, and there is no problem. Look at the Alaskan fisheries. Everything caught there is under scrutiny, and quotas are adjusted every season to keep it sustainable. I guess I shouldn't complain, the more do gooders that avoid it, the lower the price will get. That's good for me!

Joe

jdog


It is fished legally, and illegally. Take care of the law breakers, and there is no problem. Look at the Alaskan fisheries. Everything caught there is under scrutiny, and quotas are adjusted every season to keep it sustainable. I guess I shouldn't complain, the more do gooders that avoid it, the lower the price will get. That's good for me!

Joe

The Alaskan fishery to which you refer is regulated by both the federal and state governments. The Patagonian toothfish fishery is regulated on paper, only, except in one small area, where there is very little commercial fishing. There is no enforcement of any regulations outside of that one area, which is why there is but one fishery considered sustainable.
 
Enjoy your toothfish -- while you can. I'm sure you won't feel a thing when it's gone.

jdog


It is fished legally, and illegally. Take care of the law breakers, and there is no problem. Look at the Alaskan fisheries. Everything caught there is under scrutiny, and quotas are adjusted every season to keep it sustainable. I guess I shouldn't complain, the more do gooders that avoid it, the lower the price will get. That's good for me!

Joe

you got any DODO bird still in the freezer?  Dogooders,huh---that mean folks that want thier grandchildren to be able to fish and hunt too!???

Regardless, I will still stay away from this fish. Erring, on on the side of conservation.

tiki

jdog


It is fished legally, and illegally. Take care of the law breakers, and there is no problem. Look at the Alaskan fisheries. Everything caught there is under scrutiny, and quotas are adjusted every season to keep it sustainable. I guess I shouldn't complain, the more do gooders that avoid it, the lower the price will get. That's good for me!

Joe

you got any DODO bird still in the freezer?  Dogooders,huh---that mean folks that want thier grandchildren to be able to fish and hunt too!???

You wacky conservationists probably wouldn't a good whale steak if somebody set one in front of you!

Poverty Pete


You wacky conservationists probably wouldn't a good whale steak if somebody set one in front of you!

I had a "whale" of a steak, just last night!

Twinwillow

Poverty Pete


You wacky conservationists probably wouldn't a good whale steak if somebody set one in front of you!

I had a "whale" of a steak, just last night!

Ah, Twinwillow, but not the steak of a whale, I trust?

Poverty Pete


You wacky conservationists probably wouldn't a good whale steak if somebody set one in front of you!

I've had whale. It's a good thing they have a use for it besides eating.

I tasted blubber once. It was like Crisco chewing gum.

I'll stick to land based mammals for my dinner.

Poverty Pete


I tasted blubber once. It was like Crisco chewing gum.

You thought it was that good, eh?

I  sat in this  room in a modest home on the coast of Labrador one evening and  enjoyed  some pickled whale.  To be truthful, I think I enjoyed it  because I was full of rum and coke at the time. 

With so many good fish alternatives available, it doesn't make sense to eat those that are overfished.  People often overlook the fact that when we deplete a species, it's not just that a particular species is impacted; it often also impacts the ecosystem that it inhabits.

By the way, I'm conservative, and I don't own a gun.  I do have a small cache of shoulder- fired Stinger missiles, however, which I use to shoot down condors.

I LOVE THIS PLACE!!!

Tiki with a gun sounds almost as dangerous as Hoffman without a gun. 

As to what fish to eat or not: I long ago stopped eating swordfish, tuna (sometimes make a salad of canned tuna), Orange Roughie
(wasn't great eating anyway), Chilean Sea Bass (mild to the point of boring), any variety of shark, codfish (god, I miss that fish), and a few others that don't immediately come to mind. 

That still leaves me with a world of great fish to eat - black Sea Bass (Tautog), trout and salmon, oysters, clams, scallops,hake, pollack, shrimp (Gulf, wild caught), bluefish, striped bass, lobster, crab, anchovies, sardines... Shall I go on?

My point is, there is no need for us to continue eating fish that are in danger of disappearing entirely. If we stop eating them for a while, they'll come back, and we can enjoy them in moderation forever after. 

Cheers, John  

Greymo

I sat in this room in a modest home on the coast of Labrador one evening and enjoyed some pickled whale. To be truthful, I think I enjoyed it because I was full of rum and coke at the time.

 
I love whale.  I used to eat it deep fried all the time when I lived in Japan. 
 

tiki

you know--LOTS of wacko pinko liberals own guns---and know how to use them too! Got a couple myself --and we all know i WAYYY past liberal . Liberal are wimps---im a danged RADiCAL and hippie--and a retired outside agitator to boot!

 
Same here Tiki.  I don't know what I am anymore other than sick of politicians of all stripes. I do know I'm probably pretty left of center on social issues.   Having said that,  I love nothing more than spending a Saturday afternoon down at the gun range seeing how much brass I can accumulate. Love my G17, Taurus Judge (ever shot 410 shotshells out a handgun? Woo Hoo!!!), and SuperNova.  Afterwards I hug trees and pop an organic beer.
 
 

seafarer john
 
...That still leaves me with a world of great fish to eat - black Sea Bass (Tautog), trout and salmon, oysters, clams, scallops,hake, pollack, shrimp (Gulf, wild caught), bluefish, striped bass, lobster, crab, anchovies, sardines... Shall I go on?
....
Cheers, John  

You just went down my own checklist of favored seafood.
 
Edit -  I will add I love Chilian sea bass.  I give it a sweet soy/sake/mirin/ginger/garlic/chili/basil marinade, macademia nut crust, and people rave over it.  But at $19.99/lbs there are other great fish out there with more bang for the buck.

I won a White Whale Contest once...Russ

seafarer john


Tiki with a gun sounds almost as dangerous as Hoffman without a gun. 

Absolutely!
 
Hoffman is a trained destroyer of demented humankind who needs no firearms to wreak unprincipled havoc upon evildoers.

tiki


you know--LOTS of wacko pinko liberals own guns---and know how to use them too! Got a couple myself --and we all know i WAYYY past liberal . Liberal are wimps---im a danged RADiCAL and hippie--and a retired outside agitator to boot!

Agreed. Two of my most liberal friends have guns and target shoot frequently. Most of the conservatives I know don't actually own guns…thank god. ;)

saps


With so many good fish alternatives available, it doesn't make sense to eat those that are overfished.  People often overlook the fact that when we deplete a species, it's not just that a particular species is impacted; it often also impacts the ecosystem that it inhabits.

By the way, I'm conservative, and I don't own a gun.  I do have a small cache of shoulder- fired Stinger missiles, however, which I use to shoot down condors.

Good post and I agree wholeheartedly.

Michael Hoffman

seafarer john


Tiki with a gun sounds almost as dangerous as Hoffman without a gun. 

Absolutely!
 
Hoffman is a trained destroyer of demented humankind who needs no firearms to wreak unprincipled havoc upon evildoers.

Mr Hoffman--maybe we should pair up and maybe get our own comic book!!!

tiki

Michael Hoffman

seafarer john


Tiki with a gun sounds almost as dangerous as Hoffman without a gun. 

Absolutely!

Hoffman is a trained destroyer of demented humankind who needs no firearms to wreak unprincipled havoc upon evildoers.

Mr Hoffman--maybe we should pair up and maybe get our own comic book!!!

I don't know. Me with a musician? My cape night get tangled in the banjo strings.

You want to save the Chilean sea bass? It's simple. Wright your elected officials. If the U.S., and other governments would only allow the purchase of fish that were caught with a permit based on a sustainable harvest, the problem is gone. Any fish on a boat that isn't legal don't have a market. If the countries doing the fishing don't want to do it like they do in Alaska, then we can't buy it. To me it makes a lot more sense than not eating it, and taking up arms against those that don't agree with you. Government doesn't Do many things well, especially on it's own. You have to participate.

Joe 

jdog


You want to save the Chilean sea bass? It's simple. Wright your elected officials. If the U.S., and other governments would only allow the purchase of fish that were caught with a permit based on a sustainable harvest, the problem is gone. Any fish on a boat that isn't legal don't have a market. If the countries doing the fishing don't want to do it like they do in Alaska, then we can't buy it. To me it makes a lot more sense than not eating it, and taking up arms against those that don't agree with you. Government doesn't Do many things well, especially on it's own. You have to participate.

Joe 

Oh sure--nothing too it!!! We all know that all we habe to do is TELL THOSE FOLKS IN ALL THOSE OTHER COUNTRIES WHAT WE WANT AND THEY WILL DO IT!!! Just like when we ask them not to make wars or persecute minorites!

If they don't, then they have way too much expensive fertilizer to deal with.
 
Joe

  Wow, the opinions on this thread have gone way off topic. I believe the original post was about how the fish tasted, not about politics. I, for one , do not buy Chilean Sea Bass. I use Rock bass or Striped sea bass for the applications calling for this extremely endangered fish. I like the flavor but I don't want to participate in killing off a species. I will not tell anyone else what food to buy or consume as it is really not my business to police anyone else.


David O.