The Other Fish Crisis

As someone who follows conservation issues as they pertain to what we eat and who we are, I often come across articles, essays, and studies about the critical state in which many of the ocean-going fish and mammals, like cod, tuna, groupers, sturgeons, and even whales. This work readily conjures images of massive sea-going vessels dragging even larger nets, scooping up everything in their path, threatening populations around the world. (For an example of what I read when I research posts like this one, check out Our World in Data.)

Yet, there is another crisis that is much closer to home. It is unfolding in the creeks, rivers and lakes all around us. And, it's impact could be just as severe, if not more so, than what is unfolding in the oceans. And, admittedly, I had not really thought about it until I received an email from Andrew Zimmern's Spilled Milk substack that led me to his post about the freshwater fish collapse.

The headline: 81% decline in migratory freshwater fish species -- such as eels, giant catfish, salmon, striped bass, sturgeon, and trout -- between 1970 and today, with the largest losses in the Caribbean, Europe and Latin America. That headline is based on a joint study recently released back in 2024 by the World Fish Migration Council, The Nature Conservancy, the Wetlands Foundation, WWF and others. 

There are so many reasons for the loss of freshwater fish populations, and those reasons are far beyond our control as individuals. However, as communities and as societies, we can do more to address some of the issues, such as environmental pollution, habitat loss, and overfishing that places these fish at risk. We can also be smarter and more educated when we shop for fresh fish. There are websites, like Monterrey Bay Aquarium's Seafood Watch, that can help you pick out which fish are raised and harvested in a sustainable way. 

MY FAVORITE FRESH FISH RECIPE (AS OF RIGHT NOW):

WHOLE ROASTED FISH WITH GULLAH MOPPING SAUCE

Recipe from the James Beard Foundation

Serves 3

Ingredients (for the fish):

• 3 dressed whole trout (1 1/2 pound each)
• 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper or sweet paprika
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon turmeric powder
• 8 sprigs fresh thyme
• 2 lemons, each sliced into 4 rings
• 1 pint cherry tomatoes
• 1 cup of mopping sauce

Ingredients (for the mopping sauce):

• 2 1/2 cups apple cider vinegar
• 1 8-ounce can tomato juice
• 5 1/4-inch-wide paper thin slices of lemon rind (only the yellow rind, not white pith)
• 1 cup ketchup
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tablespoon yellow mustard
• 2 teaspoons coarsely ground black pepper
• 2 teaspoons crushed red pepper
• Dash of hot sauce

Directions:

1. Prepare the mopping sauce. Whisk the ingredients together in a sauce pot over medium heat and simmer for 15 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove the pot from the heat and let cool. Store this mopping sauce refrigerated in a jar for up to six months.

2. Prepare the trout. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Pat the fish dry inside and out with paper towels. Make 3 diagonal cuts through the skin on each side of the fish and place on a rimmed sheet pan. Generously and evenly pour the olive oil over the fish. Season the inside and out with cayenne pepper (or paprika), garlic powder, salt and turmeric. Gently stuff the thyme sprigs and lemon rings into the fish's belly. Scatter the tomatoes in the pan and pour the mopping sauce over the fish. 

3. Roast the fish. Roast the fish for 25 to 30 minutes, basting every 8 to 10 minutes, until a thermometer inserted in the thickest part reads 140 degrees Fahrenheit. Remove the fish from teh oven and serve immediately. 

OTHER GREAT RECIPES TO TRY

If you are looking for some other interesting and tasty ways to eat fresh fish sustainably, then you can check out these recipes:

Ojibwe Fish Cakes: If you have lake perch or trout, this recipe enables you to make fish cakes in the style of the Ojibwe people. And, if you can get your trout from an Ojibwe-run fish hatchery, you are definitely eating freshwater fish in a sustainable fashion.

Pan Fried Trout: This recipe takes you to the country and cuisine of Czechia, where trout pulled from rivers can be quickly prepared and pan fried. This recipe is a prime example of how something simple can still be something delicious.

Masaledar Macchi:  A fish recipe from the Indian subcontinent that features a spicy marinade applied to trout before it is grilled. A relatively easy recipe that provides an easy recipe to make fish in a different way (grilled instead of in a curry). 

In writing this post, I came to realize that the bulk of my fish recipes involve fish from oceans or estuaries, as opposed to lakes and rivers (although some, like salmon, arguably inhabit both over their lifecycle. It has gotten me to think about making freshwater fish recipes more often, as long as they are sustainable. Until next time ... 

PEACE.

P.S.: The picture at the opening of the post is from the Divers Action Network.