Sustainable seafood

Today, overfishing has brought numerous sea species to the brink of extinction. So how are Middle East chefs and suppliers dealing with increasing limitations when serving seafood?

The Middle East has traditionally harvested plenty from the sea, making fish and shellfish a popular part of modern diets.

But today, overfishing and lack of knowledge — or in some cases a blatant disregard for environmental protection — have brought many regional favourites to the brink of extinction.

Emirates Wildlife Society in association with WWF (EWS—WWF) is a national (UAE) environmental non-governmental organisation that has been active in the UAE since 2001 with the aim of conserving natural heritage and promoting sustainable lifestyles.

EWS—WWF conservation officer Nessrine Alzahlawi explained: “Overfishing is a global problem, with about 80% of the world’s fish stocks being fully exploited, overexploited, depleted or recovering from depletion, according to the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).

“But this is also a local problem: stock assessment show that eight important commercial species are being taken out well beyond sustainable levels: hamour, kingfish, zuraidi, shaari, fersh, yemah, qabit and safi arabi,” she said.

Okku Luxury Japanese Restaurant and Lounge corporate chef Ryu Sato Gardiner noted: “Bluefin tuna is the most obvious, but some seabass and cod varieties are also being depleted, depending on the type and origin.”

Seafood supplier Royal Culimer’s general manager, Jeroen Tollenaar, added that shark, grouper and even some crustaceans were on the verge of disappearing.

“Unfortunately it will only get worse if we don’t change our habits,” he warned.

According to Colin Clague, executive chef at Zuma Dubai, seafood prices have risen in the Middle East, as is the case elsewhere.

“Wild caught fish has become very expensive, especially the top quality variety that we use, but our customers obviously want the quality that we provide and pay accordingly,” he said.

Corrado Pani, Italian chef at Ritz-Carlton Dubai, noted that sea urchins and abalone were also becoming increasingly expensive.

“The consumer demand has dropped from 2008, when business was still booming,” he commented. “People are wiser now about importing pricey items — they don’t want to risk losing the money or wasting the product if it doesn’t sell.”

Of course, a lot of what is put on menus depends on what is available in the market. Seafood supplier Royal Culimer’s Tollenaar emphasised that the firm did not deal with “irresponsible fishermen”.

“We are partnered with the WWF and train fishermen and provide them with circle hooks, which reduce the bycatch by almost 80% compared to normal J hooks,” he explained.

“And some items, like bluefin tuna, we don’t offer. Instead we offer ‘Superfrozen’ yellowfin tuna. With regards to shrimps, vannamei was placed on the Red List last year, so we now deliver this shrimp with Global Gap certificate.”

According to Thushan Don, head chef of Aquara at Dubai Marina Yacht Club (DMYC), the industry has not yet seen the full impact of depleted stocks.

“The government here has been very strict over the past few years on fishing quotas,” he said.

“But I suspect tuna will become very scarce in future, as the Asian governments are not imposing any restrictions.”

So the industry is obviously aware of the overfishing problem — but what impact is it having on daily operations?

Okku has switched from bluefin to yellowfin tuna, which reportedly caused some issues to start with as there wasn’t a reliable supply chain available in the region.

“But by working closely with suppliers and the Japanese markets, we have now been able to overcome this problem,” stated Gardiner.

Zuma’s Clague concurred: “I use substantially more yellowtail tuna than I ever have, all of which is either line-caught or farmed. I have also taken the monkfish and Chilean sea bass dishes off the menu since they appeared on the endangered seafood list.”

These are fantastic examples of how chefs and purchasers can make difference regarding what consumers choose to eat and what distributors choose to supply— but DMYC’s Don is still concerned that some have yet to realise the severity of the situation.

“I know of certain fish farms where there are no quotas or limits to what people can fish and this is very scary as one day the region will wake up to a big problem,” he asserted.

Zuma’s Clague added: “I’m sure people with a conscience check where their seafood comes from, but so many people cannot afford the wild-caught, line-caught variety, so I’m afraid there will always be a market for the less-than-reputable suppliers.

“I think the onus really has to be placed on the governments rather than the restaurants,” he added.

Royal Culimer’s Tollenaar said he felt change was just a matter of time. “People will have to adapt; you can’t reduce the food costs of items which are on the brink of extinction, especially when excellent, sustainable alternatives are available. It’s a mind set purchasers must get into,” he insisted.

According to EWS—WWF’s Alzahlawi, the main challenge the organisation faces with regards to educating seafood suppliers and buyers is the high consumer demand for overfished species, combined with a lack of knowledge about what is happening.

“The iconic status of fish such as hamour, kingfish and shaari, along with their widespread availability, gives the impression that the stock is healthy,” she commented.

“Unfortunately, this does not reflect the reality of the situation, as in fact the stocks of hamour and other species in the same family have seen an overall decline of about 87% between 1979 and 2003.”

However Alzahlawi said she remained optimistic, and that as awareness increased across the supply chain, more people would become aware of the issue and more sustainable alternative products would come online.

Comparing farmed to wild-caught fish, DMYC’s Don claimed the farmed variety was generally “more fatty and of a milkier flavour due to lack of exercise”, adding that some of the top fish farms could extend up to a kilometre square.

“You can’t beat a product grown in its natural environment though,” he admitted. “Wild fish will always have a superior flavour and texture.”

Royal Culimer’s Tollenaar said the difference in taste between decent farmed and wild fish was one “only very few people would notice” — but that texture was a big give-away. “Wild fish or shrimps have to work for a living and are muscled, and you can tell that’s missing in the farmed varieties,” he asserted.

Ritz-Carlton’s Pani expanded: “The difference between eating a farmed chicken, fed with poultry feed, compared to a chicken which has been left to run free in the wild is absolutely different in taste, constancy and texture.

“It’s the same for fish; being raised in a big tank and fed powdered food versus living wild in the sea has a big impact on the texture and flavour of the fish.”

According to Okku’s Gardiner, the main issue is bigger than simple taste: “It’s the parasites that exist in some colonies of farmed fish, especially salmon, as well as the effects of these farms on local estuaries and fish populations,” he said.

Zuma’s Clague agreed: “Many farmed prawn ponds are so full of chemicals that they cannot be used again after a few years because of over-pollution.

“Obviously I wouldn’t touch those, but as with anything you get what you pay for, and quality seafood will always be on the expensive side.”

But Okku’s Gardiner said he remained confident Middle East chefs could find an answer to sourcing quality sustainable supplies.

“There is a hybrid solution, which exists in other parts of the world but not here yet, where there are wild farms and fish are reared in sustainable yet natural habitats,” he explained.

“We’ve been trying to source these products for a few months but to no avail so far; stocks are limited and the local market place very small, hence the reason suppliers are not keen to explore this yet.”

But according to EWS—WWF’s Alzahlawi, the seafood market is changing worldwide. “We are witnessing a rise in the demand for certified, sustainable, eco-friendly products, such as those certified by the Marine Stewardship Council,” she explained.

“The seafood market here will no doubt follow the same trend, as more consumers become aware of the impact of overfishing on species and on the environment, and as suppliers and buyers become aware of the uncertainty associated with relying on overfished species that are facing the threat of depletion.”

As Royal Culimer’s Tollenaar commented, the market will eventually have no choice but to adapt: “When these fish no longer exist, no other option is left.”

EWS—WWF’s advice to outlets:

“Variety is the spice of life! Our experience has shown that chefs enjoy the challenge of cooking with new varieties of local fish, and we believe there is an increasingly eco-conscious clientele out there that will get ‘hooked’ on the idea of sustainable fish dishes.

“Any restaurant stands to gain from adding sustainable alternatives to their menus and showcasing their role as a responsible member of the community.

“Our campaign is always on the look out for chefs and restaurants and caterers, and we encourage all to get on board and help safeguard fish resources and promote sustainable living.” For more information, visit: www.choosewisely.ae