Conservation Dining

Did you know you can help save the Chesapeake Bay ecosystem by shopping at Central Farm Markets?Yes, you can!The Chesapeake Bay has been bouncing back from decades of abuse from pollution upstream, sadly much of it caused by poor agricultural practices. Farmers have been reducing sedimentation by fencing livestock out of streams, reducing the use of chemicals, and replanting riparian flood plains that were previously stripped of native vegetation to mitigation erosion, to name a few.Oysters are making a comeback. The Blue Crab population has rallied, but unfortunately there’s a new big, bad blue bully - Ictalurus furcatus - aka Blue Catfish, threatening native species such as blue crabs, eels, shad, menhaden, perch and herring. Biologists have labeled the catfish as an “apex trophic” invasive species which means they are at the top of the food chain eating everything while nothing eats them…except humans which is how they got somewhere they’re not supposed to be in the first place.Native to the Mississippi, Missouri and Ohio River basins, in the mid 1970’s the Blue Catfish was introduced to the James, Rappahannock, and York Rivers in Virginia for sport fishing. With the ability to adapt to a wide range of salinities, these long-lived prolific lunkers can reach weights over 100 pounds, lengths over five feet and live more than 20 years. Now found in all the estuaries of the Chesapeake Bay Watershed, the Blue Catfish are voraciously tearing through the food chain.Biologists fear that if their numbers are not held in check through the development of a commercial fishery, processing and distribution, that soon the only fish being commercially harvested from the Chesapeake Bay will be Blue Catfish.Recognizing that catfish have long had a bad rap since the majority of commercially available catfish come from large farms where they grow on a steady diet of corn and soy pellets, the Wide Net Project was founded to address the environmental issues caused by non-native wild catfish in the Chesapeake Bay while promoting its public consumption as a means to develop a viable commercial fishery.According to the Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch, commercial landings in Maryland and Virginia are responsible for 33% of all Blue Catfish landings in the USA. Louisiana leads with the majority - 65%.On the plus side, the Blue Catfish is considered a sustainable local fishery as many popular fish stock species are hovering on the brink of collapse due to overfishing, habitat destruction and changes in ocean temperatures and currents. Even better is the type of commercial fishing gear - fyke nets, gillnets, pound nets, seine nets, and trap nets all have a low impact on the fishery’s habitats as well as very low by-catch rates.Wild Blue Catfish that have been feasting on the bounty of the bay have been found in fresh fish cases at Whole Foods, MOM’s Organic Grocery and at fishmongers in the Mid-Atlantic as well as on the menu at regional restaurants dedicated to sourcing regionally such as Clyde’s and Zaytinya who fries the fish in an Ouzo batter and serves it on Skordalia (Greek potato and garlic spread) with capers, almonds, and Meyer lemon.And now you can purchase fresh wild Blue Catfish from Lobster Maine-ia at all four Central Farm Markets locations starting this weekend. Thanks to the Blue Catfish’s omnivorous natural diet, it has a mild flavor with a flakey firm texture, perfect for a wide array of dishes. It can be steamed, grilled, sautéed, fried or baked.Cilantro is in season along with cabbage and salsas at all the markets. Fish tacos, anyone?Fish TacosIngredients:

• 1 pound Lobster Maine-ia Wild Caught Blue Catfish fillets
• 8 small corn tortillas
• 2 cups shredded cabbage
• 4 whole spring onions, thinly sliced
• 1 fresh jalapeño pepper, minced
• ½ cup fresh cilantro
• 3 Tbsp. fresh lime juice
• ¼ cup crème fraiche, sour cream or yogurt
• ½ tsp. ground cumin
• ½ tsp. ground pepper
• 1 tsp. salt
• 2 Tbsp. olive oil

Directions:

1. Mix dry seasoning in a bowl. Generously season both sides of fish fillets and cook fish in oil over medium-high heat until browned on all sides. Fish can also be grilled. Cut into strips or break into chunks.
2. Combine cabbage, spring onions, jalapeno pepper, cilantro, lime juice and dairy together until well mixed.
3. Warm the tortillas and fill with fish and slaw.
4. Enjoy!