A FISHY TALE

AS I SIT DOWN TO WRITE, I'm wondering if I can really make a change in the giant seafood business. I sure rant about it enough, I do my best to preach it to the masses, but can I really ever make a difference?

The seafood industry has become powerful and is ruled by greed. Common sense and environmental responsibility seems to be something that mattered long ago - but not now, not with all the money there is to be made.

IS it possible to expose the devastation being caused? Can one voice really matter? Does it really even matter? Are people growing weary of hearing me rant? Will I ever make a difference? Will people stop ignoring the blatant atrocities fish farms are getting away with? Will they ever ask questions about where their fish comes from and demand sustainable seafood??? But more on this thought later...

The new motto in the fish industry has become, "Want more fish? We'll make more!"

Little, if any, concern has been given to our oceans and environment. And NOAA, (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration), the same government agency we trust to protect our oceans, is giving a green light to "aquaculture", aka "nasty fish farms", off the Gulf of Mexico. It's even been rumored that their plans are to expand aquaculture off the coasts of Alaska. Heaven forbid. (Click here to read more about what the folks in Alabama think of this.)

There is no place since the beginning of fish farming, that fish farms haven't harmed and destroyed the wild fish stock. FACT: Everywhere there is fish farming, wild fish are rapidly depleting, and in many places - gone.

I've heard some say that Alaska is also guilty of farming fish. That is total nonsense. Yes, we do have shellfish aquaculture in Alaska. Happy clams and oysters are being raised and thriving in protected water in Alaska. However, shellfish farming is much different that finfish farming. In fact, Alaska is so vehemently opposed to finfish farming, that its been prohibited in the Alaska State Constitution (see AS 16.40.210). That's a pretty powerful opposition statement!

In my upcoming documentary, A Fishy Tale, Alaska Senator Fred Dyson, a long time commercial fisherman, and close friend of my late father, will be taking us on a tour of the shellfish aquaculture as well as clarifying for us the confusion out there with Alaska's fish hatcheries and actual fish farms.

I've also noticed that when fish farming companies can't defend themselves and explain why they are raising poisoned salmon and killing our oceans, they quickly turn a finger to Alaska and say "Look, they're doing it too!" They know it's ludicrous, but they just love to hear us defend it. A classic political move. Ugh.

One more point then I'm done, I believe fish farms — even ones heralded as "sustainable" — create as many problems as they solve, from fecal contamination to the threat that escaped cultivated fish pose to the wild salmon. Even if the feed they give them isn't filled with as much poison as the other feed, it's like saying, "There's just a little bit of poop on your plate. Go ahead and eat up! Bon Appetite!" Huh?

And what about the farmed fish that are escaping and killing the wild fish?!? How's that sustainable?? And all the fish poop, hormones, and antibiotics that flow down through the net crushing every bit of life on the oceans floor - how's THAT sustainable??? I'm sure you get my point, but I believe it's impossible to put the words "sustainable" and "farmed" in the same sentence and be credible.

"My fish ain't farmed!!"

Now back to my first thought.

To think that I, a common girl from Alaska with no significant wealth or popularity, could find a way to challenge big government, fight NOAA, educate people about the devastation caused by farmed fishing, and actually create a change in the industry, is just a dream... At least that's what I thought before I shared my frustration with Tracie.

Tracie Donahue, is a girlfriend of mine who went to high school with me in Alaska. Life took us on separate paths after graduation - she cheered in college, moved to Reno, then Sacramento CA, got involved in the entertainment and movie industry, made a couple documentaries, won some movie awards, dated celebrities, skied in Tahoe, drank expensive champagne... (ok, ok, I'm just messin with her!) and most recently moved near Hagerstown MD, where she is now the Director of the Maryland International Film Festival. (I keep telling myself blonds do NOT have more fun...)

We kept in touch over the years and visited each other several times, but it wasn't until this last year when I was giving Tracie my impassioned speech about the evils of fish farms, that she started to make me believe change was really possible. Tracie suggested we make a film and show the world what this fish business is all about. Through her optimism, wit, knowledge of the movie industry, our friendship, and her belief in me, I'm thinking a change is starting to come!

Tracie has put together an impressive crew to make this film a reality. I can't wait to show it to you and expose the fishy tale that fish farms would like you to hear.

Stay tuned. A FISHY TALE is scheduled to be out by this Fall of 2012.

Oh, by the way, that's our movie poster up on top - cool huh?

So, I'm making a movie...

As you know, I'm passionate about saving the world from farmed salmon - Especially open-net fish farms. Open-net fish farms are truly the most overlooked environmental hazard of our day. The toxins and devastation they spread in our oceans are causing havoc with other wild fish species and marine life living in the ocean. So toxic that dead zones are found in the oceans everywhere fish farms are present.

While doing some research, I came across a NASA website showing the current dead zones in our ocean. The size and number of marine dead zones (areas where the deep water is so low in dissolved oxygen that sea creatures can’t survive) have grown explosively in the past half-century. Red circles on this map show the location and size of many of our planet’s dead zones. Black dots show where dead zones have been observed, but their size is unknown.

I found it extremely interesting to see on the map that dead zones are located where fish farms are prolific. Scandinavia's oceans have been devastated by fish farms, and note the dead zones in Canada and the British Columbia area. Open-net fish farms allow the toxic chemicals the fish are being fed, as well as all the fish poop, to flow right through to the ocean floor. This depletes the ocean of oxygen and kills every living thing surrounding the area.

To add insult to injury, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA — the federal agency tasked with protecting our oceans) recently announced that it would begin implementing its plan to allow the set up of the first factory fish farms in the Gulf of Mexico. The Gulf has already been battered by the oil industry – the last thing we need is enormous ocean fish farms that can and do spread disease & sea lice (see picture below), allow for millions of fish to escape, kill off wild populations, jeopardize the tourism industry, and further destroy the livelihood of local fishermen.

The forging ahead of fish farms seems ludicrous when NOAA’s own policy states, ‘Environmental challenges posed by aquaculture…may include nutrient and chemical wastes, water use demands, aquatic animal diseases and invasive species, potential competitive and genetic effects on wild species, effects on endangered or protected species, effects on protected and sensitive marine areas, effects on habitat for other species, and the use of forage fish for aquaculture feeds.’

IN A FRUSTRATED RANT to my girlfriend, Tracie Donahue, I bemoaned my seemingly lack of progress in educating the public and making a change regarding the current attitudes and perception of farmed fish. Sometimes it seems like regardless of the proof and facts I give about the devastation caused by these fish farms, people don't understand the consequences of eating farmed salmon! With knowledge comes responsibility and I wonder if a lot of people prefer living in blissful ignorance.

Tracie happens to be an award winning film director (SECRETS TO LOVE) and suggested that we make a documentary to help raise awareness. Just one conversation is all it took and we've been off and running ever since.

The film is called, A Fishy Tale. Our executive producer is none other than Joe Carnahan, the director of recent film The A Team,Smokin Aces, Nark, and The Grey (due out in January 2012). Tracie will be the film director. I just provide the inspiration :)

We've already filmed several interviews for A Fishy Tale. I went to D.C. and visited with Alaska Congressman Don Young (see photo above right) who understands the importance of keeping open-net fish farming out of the United States. We also spoke with Pennsylvania Congressman Tim Murphy (see Tracie and Congressman Young in below photo) regarding the amount of imports that are brought into our country and not inspected. (This is important because 90% of our fish is imported. Only 2% of that is inspected at our ports - HALF of that 2% is deemed too toxic for human consumption and sent away. This means the remaining 88% of our seafood is never inspected and likely at least half of that is too toxic for human consumption!!)

We were recently in San Francisco interviewing Casson Trenor, owner of Tataki Sushi - America's first sustainable sushi restaurant, and author of Sustainable Sushi - Saving the Ocean One Bite at a Time.

We're headed next to Norway and British Columbia to show whats coming if we allow aquaculture (fish farming) to expand in the United States. Already we've seen wild salmon become extinct on the East Coast since the fish farms moved in along the coasts of Maine and Nova Scotia. Our film will end back in Alaska where we will show off how Alaska is the world's model for sustainable fishing, and keeping our oceans healthy and fish abundant.

I want to make a change in the seafood industry. I want people to understand how important it is for us to act. If we do nothing, we will lose our oceans. Even though I will never eat farmed salmon due to the junk they're fed, there are still ways to raise fish in farms that don't destroy our oceans. A closed containment system, where fish are raised in tanks on land, is an excellent alternative to the open-net cages. We hope to visit one such operation in the State of Washington along our journey.

I'll be blogging along the way - posting pictures of our film process. I'd love your feedback throughout this process. Post your comments - let us know what questions we can answer in our film.

So, that's what's coming - A FISHY TALE. Look for it next summer!

Our FIRST commercial!

YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY!!!! Here it is!!! Our very FIRST commercial! Check it out!

What IS Sustainable Seafood??

This question comes up all the time. I was at the grocery store yesterday and walked by the seafood counter to see what they had for sale. I’m always interested to see what kind of fish grocers have in their case. I’m honestly not looking for trouble - I just have a simple curiosity to see what kind of seafood stores are selling.

I noticed that they had THREE kinds of salmon for sale. Wild salmon, farmed salmon, and organic salmon. The organic salmon looked exactly like the farmed salmon. The wild salmon was bright red and the refreshed wild sockeye fillets were nicely arranged. The farmed salmon looked fresher, but its color was sickening pale. And then, there was this odd organic salmon, which had me deeply puzzled.

I’ve been in the salmon business for a long time and I’ve never heard of organic salmon. We refer to SEABEEF, our premium grade whole sockeye fillets, as the Ocean’s Organic Alternative to Beef, but I’ve never actually heard of anyone marketing and labeling a type of salmon as organic!

As I was considering these thoughts, a man walked up to the counter and asked the seafood guy which salmon was the best. The seafood guy showed the shopper the three kinds of salmon displayed, and mumbled something about them all being good. The shopper asked, “Well, what's your freshest salmon?” The seafood guy pointed to the farmed salmon and told him the store had just received it yesterday. “Then that’s what I want. I want good and fresh salmon” said the shopper.

I had a hard time watching the seafood guy grab hold of the farmed salmon and flop it on the scale. Seeing the pale and mushy flesh always makes me nauseous. It took everything I had in me to push my cart and walk away without saying anything to either one of them. I wanted to tell the shopper in intricate detail how toxic and gross farmed salmon was. I also wanted to lay into the seafood guy for even selling it – as if he had anything to do with it.

It did make me wonder though, about the guy who asked for the “best salmon in the store”. We all know it’s vogue and popular to buy local and organic, and obviously something the shopper had heard somewhere made him ask for the best and freshest salmon…


THEN CONSIDER EARlier in the week, my husband and I had dinner at a restaurant at a ski resort about an hour from where we live. A huge fire was roaring in the fireplace near our table, and menus were handed to us by the hostess.

I immediately noticed that the nights menu featured a Sustainable Fish. I of course asked our server what the sustainable fish was for that night. She said... "salmon."

“Wild salmon?” I asked.

“Atlantic salmon”, she replied.

“How can it be? Atlantic salmon is not a sustainable seafood”.

“Let me go ask the chef”, and off she went to the kitchen. My husband took a deep breath, as he knew what was coming… (poor man)

The server came back out and said, “They say, Atlantic salmon is sustainable.”

I said, “Who’s they? If it’s your chef he certainly doesn’t know anything about sustainable seafood.” I quickly recognized the confused and shocked look on her face so I casually changed the subject to ask about the duck.

These poor waiters and waitresses – totally blindsided by people like me. How could they possibly know without being educated? And if the chef, their chef whom they admire and respect, puts farmed salmon on the menu and tells them it’s great fish, WHO are they to question?

Both of these recent events made me realize that all the education about sustainable fishing, the toxins of farmed salmon & shrimp, and the havoc fish farms create in our environment, JUST ISN’T GETTING THROUGH to people, or at best, leaves them confused.

Here’s a simple explanation as to what Sustainable Seafood means: It’s seafood that’s managed and fished using practices that ensure there will always be more to catch in the future, as well as fishing practices that take care not to harm the fish, other marine plants and animals, or the environment.

So what’s the solution? Perhaps our government needs to wake up and take note of the hundreds of reports warning us of the dangers with farmed salmon & shrimp farms. Or maybe chefs need to be transported to the actual fish farms so they can see for themselves what toxins are being fed to the fish and the disease that’s being spread over the ocean floor. We should insist the Department of Environment step up its game and declare war on fish farms. The Clean Water Act needs to include fish farms in its demand for clean water.

But beyond all that, I think the first answer is for people to educate themselves about sustainable seafood. The task isn’t that daunting with all the resources made available. For instance, I think the very best organization with the easiest chart to follow regarding sustainable seafood is Monterey Bay Aquarium. They have put out a pocket sustainable seafood guide (made available on their website, or let me know and I’ll mail you one), which makes choosing sustainable seafood easy! Three columns are on this chart – Best Choices – Good Alternatives – and the Avoid column. A ton of seafood is listed on this chart in each of these columns for you to simply follow. Just throw this chart in your purse or wallet and you’re set to go to any restaurant, grocery store, or seafood supplier and be a smart consumer. By purchasing only sustainable seafood, you can influence the market and increase awareness of making responsible seafood choices.

By the way, Atlantic salmon is on the AVOID list. The main reason? Farmed fishing devastates our oceans and environment with its pollution.

Wild Alaskan seafood has always been on the top of sustainable seafood charts. Get yours today at Wild Alaskan Salmon Company!

This seafood could kill us!

With all the press lately about toxic seafood being imported into the U.S., it's made going out to dinner an absolute ordeal. I've already scared my friends half to death by informing them that what they are eating is probably pure poison. It's hard to know what's left on the menu that hasn't been genetically altered in someway! Can we trust that the chicken or beef on the menu hasn't been injected with growth hormones? And what about the vegetables? They've probably been sprayed with pesticides that will make us all sick. We know we can't touch the seafood, so what's left to order? We find ourselves sitting around the table staring at the menu and deciding whether it's worth playing Russian roulette and risking our health! It's really tough to find something unless you know and trust your chef. There are some great chefs out there that search out organic farmers and wild Alaskan seafood suppliers (like myself), but unfortunately, most are still way more concerned about getting cheap food out on the table to turn the highest profit.

Did you know in the United States that 80% of our fish and 90% of our shrimp, is imported and less than 2% of that seafood is inspected by our federal government? (The FDA reportedly lacks the resources and authority to inspect more of our imports.) Of that 2%, between 40-50% of that seafood has been tested and found toxic to humans. How dangerous are these toxic chemicals? According to the Today Show investigator (see video below), eating this seafood causes anemia, cancer and even birth defects. And, even more tragic, is that once that seafood gets into the U.S., it is mixed in with our domestic product and gets lost in the shuffle. 78% of our fish and 88% of our shrimp is never inspected - YIKES! That means YOUR GROCER and YOUR CHEF, has really no idea where there seafood came from and also have no idea if what they are serving you could be poisonous. THAT'S REALLY SCARY STUFF!!

Here are a couple good videos that will give you a wake-up call:

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Moral of the story: KNOW where your seafood is coming from. Insist that your chef buys from reputable suppliers of fresh and wild seafood. ALWAYS say NO to farmed raised ANYTHING. Buy wild Alaskan or domestic seafood whenever possible.

Remember, your best bet and the most healthy seafood is always Wild Alaskan Salmon!

Jammin Salmon Seafood Fair

This past weekend I spent the day at the Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium to be part of their Jammin Salmon Sustainable Seafood Fair. The goal was to educate people on what sustainable seafood means, as well as to explain how choosing the right fish to eat can be beneficial to our oceans and wildlife. I am always happy to be part of events like these because I am a HUGE proponent of sustainable seafood. Farmed fisheries are a huge culprit in killing our oceans and destroying what's left of this all-important natural resource. Education is key to helping the public understand their part in reversing this catastrophe. Over 8,000 people came to the zoo and took part of the fair event!

I, along with several area chefs, took part in the Jammin Salmon Cook-Off. Each chef prepared Wild Alaskan Salmon Company's wild Alaskan salmon in different ways and had the public sample our creations.

I was at first extremely intimidated at the thought of cooking along side chefs especially after I heard what they were planning on making. One was making a ceviche, another was whipping up some sort of bourbon salmon with squash, and another was making a Thai salmon creation. I had NO idea what I should come up with that would be as exciting, but I do know how to cook salmon. I called one of my great friends, Chef Greg Alauzen from Cioppino Restaurant in Pittsburgh, who gave me a pep talk and told me to stick with what I know. "Don't try to act like a chef", he said,"just cook it how you know people like it." I'm so glad I took his advice. I kept it simple and it turned out great!

My main thought going into this was that I wanted people to actually buy wild Alaskan salmon and feel confident enough to cook it for themselves at home. I didn't want them being so intimidated after seeing all these fancy dishes that they would never consider preparing it for themselves. I opted to do something very simple and hoped it would be a hit.

I was thrilled by the feedback I received! People kept getting back in my line to have more samples and told me repeatedly that they loved it and how surprised they were that the recipe was so simple. I, of course, was happy that my recipe was a success and wanted to make sure I shared it with you as well. It's easy easy EASY!

Sara's Easy Stove-top Wild Salmon (note:EASY)

4 6oz wild Alaskan salmon fillets (skinless)
1 medium onion (diced)
5T Butter
3T Soy Sauce
2T Minced Garlic
2T Chile Powder
Salt & Pepper

Directions: Over medium heat, melt butter in saucepan and saute onions. Add garlic, salt & pepper - mix with onion & butter. Add skinless fillets and generously sprinkle soy sauce & Chile powder over salmon. Cook 2-3 minutes on each side.

Suggest serving with rice & your favorite veggie. Pour yourself a glass of pinot noir and enjoy.

To get your own wild Alaskan salmon and try out the recipe for yourself, go online to Wild Alaskan Salmon Company!

Out on the fishing boat & and chillin at the beach site.

To give a little better perspective of Alaska commercial fishing, Trish and I filmed ourselves on one of our commercial fishing days in Alaska. Unfortunately, since we picked our very last day of fishing to finally do this filming, there isn't a lot of action to see - I guess it's better than nothing. Hopefully next year I will get some better video and you'll get even a better idea of the life of a commercial fisherman.

This particular day was spent at a set-net site in Ninilchik, Alaska, however, not all of Wild Alaskan Salmon Company's fish come from set-net sites. In fact, all the fish we get from the Prince William Sound area (Copper River) are caught by drift boats. Meaning fisherman lay out their nets from the stern of their boat and let the net "drift" out in the ocean.

We actually offer our customers the opportunity to come out to a beach set net site and do what Trish and I did. What a great way to immerse yourself in Alaska fishing! Pick one week in July and stay in a beautiful cabin which overlooks one of our fishing sites. (Don't worry, you won't be staying in a typical rustic beach cabin - these cabins are brand new and have all the modern amenities ALL with glorious views) Plus, each guest gets to bring home 20lbs of salmon processed however they want it! If you are interested in experiencing Alaska in a wonderfully unique way, check out our trip offered on our website at www.SEABEEF.com and click on Alaska's Friendliest Catch!


(Yes - she DID say Moose ribs. That's what Carolyn is cooking the fishing crew for dinner.)