Food pairings with dangerous fish

When reading an article about Chilean Llai Llai Chardonnay and Pinot Noir on Wine Lovers Page I see that you are suggesting swordfish with the Chardonnay.
I can't go along with that reccomendation because Chile has single-handedly destroyed almost all adult swordfish capable of reproducing. A swordfish must reach 20 years of age to be able to reproduce. Fisherman in Chile are harvesting all the swordfish off the coast of Chile and using most of it for fertilizer. Some comes to the USA for sale in markets and restaurants. I have not eaten swordfish for over ten years due to what Chile has been doing to the population. Monterey Bay Aquarium has a great list of fish to recognize what fish are endangered and others that are ok to eat. It might behoove all of us to be kinder to our environment.

[Jenise]

Kevin, a pairing reccomendation isn't neccessarily a reccomendation to eat the item in question, but I hear you--no one should be eating swordfish. Do rest assured that most of us here pay a great deal of attention to sustainability matters and avoid endangered species like swordfish. Used to be my favorite fish in the world, but like you I've not purchased swordfish for about a decade now. Thanks for your thoughts, though, this is a subject that deserves repeated attention just in case there's anyone we haven't convinced yet.

Actually, the North Atlantic swordfish population is fully rebuilt, and if one pays attention to sourcing (and method if available), it should be considered for a place in a responsible diet.

http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/fishwatch/spec ... rdfish.htm

http://www.montereybayaquarium.org/cr/S ... spx?gid=25

[Robin Garr]

Kevin, thanks for your concern, but see also what Dale wrote. I live in the Eastern US, and while we're inland, we have an exceptional fish distribution community here that gets us quality product (at a price) and that is concerned about sustainability. We can generally trust our better fishmongers to do the research and offer us sustainable options, including Atlantic swordfish.

When reading an article about Chilean Llai Llai Chardonnay and Pinot Noir on Wine Lovers Page I see that you are suggesting swordfish with the Chardonnay.
I can't go along with that reccomendation because Chile has single-handedly destroyed almost all adult swordfish capable of reproducing. A swordfish must reach 20 years of age to be able to reproduce. Fisherman in Chile are harvesting all the swordfish off the coast of Chile and using most of it for fertilizer. Some comes to the USA for sale in markets and restaurants. I have not eaten swordfish for over ten years due to what Chile has been doing to the population. Monterey Bay Aquarium has a great list of fish to recognize what fish are endangered and others that are ok to eat. It might behoove all of us to be kinder to our environment.

You stole my thunder, Dale. I had copied the same links you had.

But Kevin - rest assured that everyone I've spoken on this board seems well aware of issues like the one you have brought up.

Well, I see your points. Some fish are highly migratory and when viewed as a "local" then we overlook the larger picture. Tuna are highly migratory.

Here is a handy guide for mercury also: http://www.edf.org/page.cfm?tagID=17694 ... foodhealth

My wife is pregnant and we just visited the Monterey Bay Aquarium. Obviously it had an impact. Now I am not out to thump my chest and say "yo what up?" but it did bring our awareness to the next level.

I love fish and want to be eating what's good for me and the planet. It is a lot to understand. I sell wine for a living and want to make the food/wine pairing a great experience for us all.