The Golden Globes are so dumb. Not only are they holding the event (January 13th) in spite of the writer's strike, but they've decided to take the Patagonian toothfish (aka Childean sea bass) down with them (maybe it's a badly written joke?). That's right, this January 13th, attendees at the Golden Globes will sit down to feast on sauteed fillets of Chilean sea bass with shitake mushroom a la creme.
As many of you might know, Chilean sea bass is heavily overfished--a national boycott of the delicious fish began in 2002. You might remember the assaults on Al Gore (including my own) when he chowed down on Chilean sea bass back in July. But with the Golden Globe crowd of celebrities, no one seems to care.
This will undoubtedly add to the confusion the American public already experiences on the question of: Are we or are we NOT supposed to eat Chilean sea bass? I deal with this issue in the article I wrote just after the Gore debacle. Here is an excerpt:
But no fish exhibits the mass confusion possible in today's global seafood market better than the Patagonian toothfish, renamed Chilean sea bass by the Los Angeles fish merchant who discovered its market potential in North America. Sales of Chilean sea bass increased through the 1980s as word spread that the fish flesh was virtually indestructible and could take on any flavor. In the 1990s Chilean sea bass became a best seller and chefs simply could not get enough of the oily fish. There was a reason for that; by the late 1990s, many stocks of toothfish had collapsed.
The Convention of Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (signed in 1982 and the only recognized power over these southern fish) set harvest levels but, in 1999, an estimated 80 percent of Patagonian toothfish sold were illegally caught. That same year, Whole Foods, an eco-friendly grocery chain in the U.S., discontinued Chilean sea bass. (The chain thought it would pre-empt government action but the government did not act.) Meanwhile, fishing boats began targeting Antarctic toothfish, a relative of Patagonian toothfish, and sold it as Chilean sea bass, too.
In 2001, U.S. law enforcers caught several toothfish pirates, one of whom was smuggling two tonnes of toothfish under a thin layer of crayfish. That same year, Bon Appétit magazine named Chilean sea bass the "Dish of the Year." Less than one year later, in February 2002, the D.C.-based National Environmental Trust (NET) launched the "Take a Pass on Chilean Sea Bass" campaign, which encouraged a boycott of the fish. The government next door mustered its energy to adopt NET's request that toothfish landings had legitimate paperwork (though they denied their appeal to get rid of the ambiguous title "frozen fish fillet," under which many illegal toothfish enter the U.S.). Wal-Mart, ever known for its social conscience, discontinued Chilean sea bass from its shelves in 2003. In the meantime, Bruce Knecht wrote his book about rampant toothfish piracy. And then...
In 2006, the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) certified 4000 tonnes of Patagonian toothfish off the South Georgian Islands, Antarctica. In October last year, Whole Foods reintroduced the MSC-bass. In January this year, Wal-Mart followed. Within weeks, a scientist working off Antarctica's Ross Ice Shelf reported seeing pirate vessels fishing for toothfish. From "Dish of the Year" to, less than one year later, a boycott. From de-shelved to re-shelved and legal to illegal. From threatened to MSC-certified (yet, still threatened). Amidst the mixed and remixed messages, how can consumers or journalists covering the Gore wedding stay afloat of the toothfish crisis let alone the fisheries crisis as a whole?
Silly Golden Globes.
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Hi Jennifer -
I think you need to recheck that. Your link dates to January 11, 2006, which no doubt referred to the awards held 5 days later. That was 2 years ago. Now it's possible Chilean sea bass is on the menu again, but doubtful. Besides, chances are there won't be an awards show this year at all becuase of the writers strike.
P.S. The Golden Globes are still dumb. :)
I am writing from the Marine Stewardship Council which you mention in your blog with respect to the MSC certified South Georgia Patagonian toothfish (Chilean sea bass) fishery.
The MSC is a registered non-profit organization that promotes an independent, environmental standard for sustainable fishing. Our mission is to improve the health of the world�s oceans and contribute to creating a sustainable global seafood market. We want to encourage fisheries around the world to meet our rigorous, science-based standard for environmentally responsible and sustainable fishing.
The MSC ecolabel provides an easy way to identify seafood that has come from a fishery that has been independently certified as sustainable. To achieve certification a fishery must meet a standard based on three principles:
1) ensuring healthy fish stocks,
2) minimal impact on the marine ecosystem,
3) effective management (which includes ensuring the fishery operates within national and international laws).
Fisheries that prove � through independent third-party verification � that they meet our standard can use the MSC eco-label on seafood products, empowering consumers to make the best environmental choice in seafood. Furthermore, every company in the supply chain �from boat to plate� must be audited to ensure the MSC label is only applied to fish products that come from a certified fishery. This traceability element of the MSC program helps keep illegally fished seafood out of the supply chain by linking seafood sold in shops and restaurants to a certified sustainable fishery.
In the case of the South Georgia Patagonian toothfish fishery, the fishery is a good example of how a good fisheries management can reverse the trend of illegal fishing and overfishing, and replace it with a sustainable and well managed fishery. To start, this fish stock is not threatened - the independent assessment team conducted DNA testing on the South Georgia populations and showed that it is a different stock from neighboring waters. Additionally, the fishery took significant steps to exclude illegal vessels from its waters. A strict vessel licensing system is rigorously enforced with limited landing points, controlled by the port authorities. No transshipment is allowed. Every pound of fish landed is monitored through tamper-proof satellite surveillance of on-board weighing scales and GPS locations of vessels. On landing, boxed product is applied with a barcode label to ensure there is no introduction of illegal fish into the supply chain. Finally, by excluding illegal vessels from the area and introducing new controls on fishing practices, the fishery has seen records of albatross deaths dramatically reduce. These are just a sample of the measures taken by the fishery in order to achieve MSC certification in March 2004. This fishery is an example of sustainable fishing in challenging circumstances, and it is hoped that the other fisheries will see the market benefits of sustainably fishing and introduce their own controls on illegal fishing and overfishing.
Please note that the MSC advises consumers that they should only buy Chilean seabass if it carries the MSC eco-label and comes from the South Georgia Patagonian toothfish fishery.
I hope that these points and the information available on our website www.msc.org will encourage you to reconsider your views about the MSC program and its achievements, and join the growing number of people who look for the MSC label when shopping or dining. MSC-labeled fish is available in 35 countries, in a wide range of stores and restaurants, so there should certainly be some options available near you. You can find out where to buy MSC ecolabelled sustainable seafood products near you at http://eng.msc.org/html/content_531.htm.
Alli, MSC Information Officer
Dave S., The Golden Globes are indeed happening (check out the countdown). But you're certainly right about the outdated story. I heard that they are serving Chilean sea bass on Entertainment Tonight (just a few days ago [a little unscientific to admit I watch ET]) and then went to confirm the story online (didn't notice it was outdated). This means the Golden Globes are serving Chilean sea bass for two years running. Unless, of course, they don't have writers for ET and the announcer just read what was written last year!
Alli, Thanks for writing and I fully support the intentions of the MSC (though we don't get many of their products over here). I thought the MSC-bass, though, played interestingly into a timeline of confusing signals to consumers. Stand alone, the MSC certification is a good thing (fishers who obey the law should be rewarded, I suppose--though I never am rewarded for doing so). But when you combine the MSC certification of sea bass in with boycotts and other emphasis on avoiding it, ("Don't eat Chilean sea bass" used to be one response of Randy Olson's after he ended his talk on ocean conservation and people asked the inevitable; "What can I do?"), one can understand why confusion in the seafood market is becoming almost as commonplace as overfishing...
Jennifer -
I think if they do happen, it'll be a much toned down affair, possibly not even televised. Most of the stars have already said they won't cross the lines. The Globes are a party award, and there won't be too many tears shed over it's loss. The Oscars are another thing. Management will move Heaven and Earth to make those happen, because the Oscar's mean box office.
And your link is for the 2006 ceremony, and this year's is 2008, so they won't have it two years running. However, I don't know what they had last year, maybe its three years running! It seems like there are several bashes, each with it's own menu.
P.S. (again)
I think the Hollywood foreign press, who award the prizes (all 4 of them) have asked the network to pull the awards.
Hmmm I can't seem to get any further news on the Chilean sea bass or the award status. It's less than a week away, so they better decide soon (better for the sea bass if they decide to pull the event).
On that there is little doubt. The sea bass can only cross their fins and wait. :)
so any bets on whether or not GG will be serving MSC-certified toothfish?
Golden Globes ceremony scrapped
In Entertainment
Hollywood's Golden Globes ceremony, due to take place on Sunday, is cancelled because of the writers' strike.
Looks like Chilean sea bass is on the menu again this year, per this posting in the L.A. Times blog, as prepared by Beverly Hilton Hotel chef Suki Sugiura.
The only remainin question is: is it MSC certified? Folks with the Seafood Watch program at the Monterey Bay Aquarium are trying to find out.
Ken Peterson
Communications Director
Monterey Bay Aquarium
In Entertainment
Hollywood's Golden Globes ceremony, due to take place on Sunday, is cancelled because of the writers' strike.