The Anchovy Crisis
Hold the anchovies…
This is depressing, it seems as though I am going to have to break off my relationship with my beloved anchovy. No more the salty tang on a pissaladiere, can a caesar salad ever be the same? my pasta, compound butters and lamb dishes. Oh the agony.
Why? well a new report from the MCS or the Marine Conservation Society in the UK has issued a report on its studies into European anchovy stocks and the reading isn’t pleasant. The decline has been in real evidence since 2002 and now, six years on there is a serious shortage. So much so that the EU’s main source of anchovies in a fishery in the Bay of Biscay has now closed. They don’t hold out much hope for those caught in Portuguese waters either and the MCS are advising you to ‘eat with caution’.
I have mentioned the role of the MCS before, their studies need, I think to reach a wider audience. It is often difficult for the consumer to know where fish products are sourced and the council are calling for better product labelling. Many chefs remain ignorant of the seriousness of the current levels of fish stocks around the UK and the government need to act. We continue to eat a number of different fish in blissful ignorance of their sustanability and that has to change.
Hopefully a serious reduction in the amount of anchovies consumed in Europe will allow stocks to recover but this is some ask. Anchovies are an inherent part of European cuisine and trying to change people’s mind about using them is going to take some doing. Personally, I’m a bit gutted. I love anchovies and will have to look at alternative sources or fish. Something has to be done or there will be no alternative sources.
I thought your river post was good — but this one is important! Thank you for this information. I’m so interested in sustainable living and I also love anchovies. Here’s another good resource from the US that you (as a consumer and chef) might find helpful.
http://www.mbayaq.org/cr/seafoodwatch.asp
Good job, Miles. It’s nice to hear about chefs who care about the whole aspect of cooking — from farm or sea to table.
Melissa
September 28, 2008 @ 8:19 pm
Melissa,
Thankyou for that, you have done me a big favour. A lot of this blog’s visitors are from the US and I am always mindful of that but it is hard to generalise on matters such as these and I cannot write about the state of the American fishing industry with any authority. What is great is that people such as yourself bother to comment and open the debate up to a global audience which is what it needs.
Thanks Melissa.
September 28, 2008 @ 9:14 pm
No problem. I appreciated hearing about the anchovies. And I love it when chefs care so much about where their ingredients come from. Keep up the good work!
Melissa
September 30, 2008 @ 3:49 pm
Hey Miles,
Since I’m a nutritionist — I get lots of food stuff (no pun intended). Hope I’m not wearing out my welcome, but since we’ve been talking about fish, I thought you might find this interesting.
http://nutritionbusinessjournal.com/natural-organics/news/09-30-country-origin-meat-labeling-set-take-effect/
Take care,
Melissa
October 1, 2008 @ 1:55 am
Bummer. Our anchovies in California are still hugely abundant. Wonder if they’ll export them?
October 1, 2008 @ 4:44 am
Melissa,
Thanks for that, it’s an interesting article. It would be interesting to know how Americans in general view imported goods, particularly meat and fish. Given the size of our country the consumption of foreign meat is taken as a given.
Thanks again,
Miles
October 1, 2008 @ 6:57 am
Hank,
It is a bummer, as for Californian anchovies-well I wouldn’t export them, I’d want them all for myself. I may have to move to California
Regards
Miles
October 1, 2008 @ 6:59 am