James Hrynyshyn is a freelance science journalist based in western North Carolina, where he tries to put degrees in marine biology and journalism to good use.
Before you read anything else about the Chilean sea bass served Al Gore at his daughter's wedding rehearsal party, read Deltoid's thoroughly researched review of how lazy journalists and bloggers once again did their best to undermine the world most popular climate change campaigner, and a guy who's just trying to be nice. Given how much unfair grief Gore received recently over his electricity bill, shouldn't we all be bit more careful before casting aspersions on his sincerity?
The bottom line is this: Gore was attending a private function, at which his future in-laws served him a dish that includes a species (properly called Patagonian toothfish) for which legitimate suppliers are hard to find. Leading fisheries expert Daniel Pauly likes to say that almost all this so-called "Chilean sea bass" is fenced. But in this case, it looks like the supplier went the extra mile fathom. According to the Telegraph :
Rather, the restaurant later confirmed, they had come from one of the world's few well-managed, sustainable populations of toothfish, and caught and documented in compliance with Marine Stewardship Council regulations. The Gores' spokesman, Kalee Kreider, admitted that the fish has been on the menu, but said: "The Gores absolutely agree with this humane society and the rest of the environmental community about illegally caught Chilean sea bass.So yes, Chilean sea bass is usually of illegal provenance, so endangered is the population and so small is the legal catch. But that doesn't mean we can jump to conclusions.
The lesson is not that Gore is greener than thou, rather, that it behooves us to exercise a little care and diligence before slagging anyone. Besides, even if the dinner was caught illegally, who among us would be stupid enough to publicly refuse to eat a meal served by your future in-laws at your daughter's wedding rehearsal dinner? I don't care how ecologically sensitive you are, that would be just plain stupid. It's not as if your actions are going to raise the poor fish from the grave.
Comments
a better attack would have to been to point out that gore isnt a vegetarian. but the people that attack gore from the right couldnt care less about the environment so who cares what they have to say?
new scientist:
Posted by: r | July 19, 2007 5:55 PM
It's amazing how easy it is to bring out the Gore haters these days... The original Telegraph article spent all of two sentences on Gore and the rest describing the fish. That was enough for these people jump down his throught and call him names, without question. It was an obvious hatchet job from the start, but some people will take whatever they can get, integrity be damned... so long as they get to smear him. Pathetic.
Posted by: matthew | July 20, 2007 8:31 AM
Is it true that this fish actually came from a sustainable fishery as declared by the Marine Stewardship Council?
According to blogfish, it is...
Posted by: thomas robey | July 22, 2007 12:47 AM