Death of the Filet-O-Fish?

[Papa Deuce]

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/10/science/10fish.html?no_interstitial


The answer to the eternal mystery of what makes up a Filet-O-Fish sandwich turns out to involve an ugly creature from the sunless depths of the Pacific, whose bounty, it seems, is not limitless.


The world’s insatiable appetite for fish, with its disastrous effects on populations of favorites like red snapper, monkfish and tuna, has driven commercial fleets to deeper waters in search of creatures unlikely to star on the Food Network.

One of the most popular is the hoki, or whiptail, a bug-eyed specimen found far down in the waters around New Zealand and transformed into a major export. McDonald’s alone at one time used roughly 15 million pounds of it each year.

The hoki may be exceedingly unattractive, but when its flesh reaches the consumer it’s just fish — cut into filets and sticks or rolled into sushi — moist, slightly sweet and very tasty. Better yet, the hoki fishery was thought to be sustainable, providing New Zealand with a reliable major export for years to come.

But arguments over managing this resource are flaring not only between commercial interests and conservationists, but also among the environmental agencies most directly involved in monitoring and regulating the catch.

A lot of money is at stake, as well as questions about the effectiveness of global guidelines meant to limit the effects of industrial fishing.

Without formally acknowledging that hoki are being overfished, New Zealand has slashed the allowable catch in steps, from about 275,000 tons in 2000 and 2001 to about 100,000 tons in 2007 and 2008 — a decline of nearly two-thirds.

The scientific jury is still out, but critics warn that the hoki fishery is losing its image as a showpiece of oceanic sustainability.

“We have major concerns,” said Peter Trott, the fisheries program manager in Australia for the World Wildlife Fund, which closely monitors the New Zealand fishery.

The problems, he said, include population declines, ecosystem damage and the accidental killing of skates and sharks. He added that New Zealand hoki managers let industry “get as much as it can from the resource without alarm bells ringing.”

The hoki lives in inky darkness about a half-mile down and grows to more than four feet long, its body ending in a sinuous tail of great length. Large eyes give the fish a startled look.

Scientists say its fate represents a cautionary tale much like that of its heavily harvested forerunner, orange roughy. That deepwater fish reproduces slowly and lives more than 100 years. Around New Zealand, catches fell steeply in the early 1990s under the pressures of industrial fishing, in which factory trawlers work around the clock hauling in huge nets with big winches.

Hoki rose commercially as orange roughy fell. Its shorter life span (up to 25 years) and quicker pace of reproduction seemed to promise sustainable harvests. And its dense spawning aggregations, from June to September, made colossal hauls relatively easy.

As a result, the New Zealand Ministry of Fisheries set very high quotas — roughly 275,000 tons a year from 1996 to 2001. Dozens of factory trawlers plied the deep waters, and dealers shipped frozen blocks and fillets of the fish around the globe.

Moreover, the fishery won certification in March 2001 from the Marine Stewardship Council, a private fisheries assessment group in London, which called it sustainable and well managed. The group’s blue label became a draw for restaurant fish buyers.

“Most Americans have no clue that hoki is often what they’re eating in fried-fish sandwiches,” SeaFood Business, an industry magazine, reported in April 2001. It said chain restaurants using hoki included McDonald’s, Denny’s and Long John Silver’s.

 

[sbell111]

That article sure did misrepresent the hoki. Here's a pic:

Here's how another article portrayed them:

Hoki is a type of fish in the hake family, found off the coasts of New Zealand and Australia. The fish are known by a number of other names, including blue grenadiers, blue hake, whiptails, whiptail hake, and New Zealand whiting. The fish have dense white flesh which is rich in omega-3 acids, making it a good dietary choice. Studies on the hoki fishery have also suggested that the fish are a reasonably environmentally sustainable choice, for consumers who are concerned about fishery management.

The fish tend to live in the middle depths of the water, and they feed on small crustaceans. Larger fish species as well as humans find hoki quite acceptable food, but the fish reproduce in large numbers, so the population stays relatively stable. Hoki fish also mature very rapidly, growing to a size of up to 47 inches (120 centimeters). These factors were considered when the hoki fishery was evaluated for sustainability, along with other issues like fishing techniques and accepted practices on fishing boats.

In appearance, the fish have long wedge shaped bodies which become narrower at the tail, with slim fins and a blue-green to silver color pattern. Their eyes are quite large, and the fish also have the classic protruding jaw associated with many hake and cod. The large eyes make the fish appear perpetually startled, and they are probably quite useful in the murky waters that the fish favor. Should you care to address a hoki formally, the scientific name for the fish is Macruronus novazelandiae.

In New Zealand, hoki comprise the largest commercial fish species. Because of the high volume of catch, the fishery is closely monitored to ensure that the fish are not being excessively exploited. Although the fish population appears to be stable, some concerns have been raised about bycatch and dumping related to the hoki industry. By aggressively managing the fishery, the New Zealand government hopes to keep hoki sustainable and economically viable.

Most typically, hoki is available frozen, as the fish does not keep well otherwise. The fish can be used in cooking just like hake or cod would be. The dense flesh holds up very well to saute and grilling, and the fish may also be baked or steamed. The flavor is mild and slightly sweet, and the fish pair well with a wide assortment of sauces and vegetables.

Also, I saw nothing in that article to suggest that the Filet-O-Fish was being discontinued.