• 

  TalkingFish.org's Ask an Expert interview this week is with Chef Evan Mallett of Portsmouth's Black Trumpet Bistro (Photo credit: Black Trumpet Bistro).

  February 21: “Letter to Secretary Bryson: New England Can’t Afford To Put Gulf of Maine Cod at Risk” – Originally published right here on the CLF Scoop, CLF’s Peter Shelley blogged about his request to Commerce Secretary John Bryson to impose strict catch limits to protect the Gulf of Maine cod population and also to provide federal disaster relief funding to fishermen who will face economic hardship due to the lower catch allowances.

• February 23: “Chef Evan Mallett is committed to a diverse and sustainable menu” – Our latest Ask an Expert feature interviews Evan Mallett, chef and owner of Black Trumpet Bistro in Portsmouth, NH. Chef Evan talks about the importance of flexibility and diversity when creating his menus.
• February 24: “Fish Talk in the News – Friday, February 24” – This week’s stories: NOAA’s proposed 2013 budget may cut funding for fisheries but requests support for research in the northeast; gross revenues are up after the Pacific groundfish fleet’s first year under catch shares; the Nature Conservancy is working with diverse stakeholders to prevent river herring bycatch; and the World Bank is creating a global alliance to save the world’s oceans.

• 

  Monkfish with apple butter and shaved vegetables prepared by Chef Matt Jennings of Farmstead & La Laiterie - get his recipe on TalkingFish.org! (Photo credit: Matt Jennings)

  “Ask an Expert: Chef Matt Jennings never compromises on serving fresh and local seafood” - TalkingFish.org interviews Matt Jennings, Executive Chef, Co-owner and Master Cheesemonger of Farmstead & La Laiterie, who buys locally-caught whole fish from dependable sources he knows personally and trusts wholeheartedly – and he has a great recipe for monkfish as well!

• “Talking Eeelgrass” – When we talk about fish, it’s good to remember that they not only come from somewhere but that that somewhere makes the fish. Habitat is essential; without it even many migratory fish won’t have a place to call home. Many North Atlantic fish spend an important part of their life cycles in coastal eelgrass habitat, and eelgrass is declining.
• “Fish Talk in the News – Friday, February 3″ – A weekly roundup of stories we think will interest readers. This week: a new system to estimate recreational catch, Massachusetts’s new Commercial Fisheries Revolving Loan Fund and its efforts to brand Massachusetts seafood, raising tilapia in garbage bins in the Bronx, the latest in CLF’s work to protect estuaries and fish habitat, and updates on Gulf of Maine cod.

Here’s what went on this week on TalkingFish.org, a blog brought to you by CLF and other organizations and individuals who want to see a sustainable fishing industry in New England and abundant fish populations for generations to come:

• January 11: “Bottom Line: New Year’s Resolution 2012: Let’s Gain Weight in the Ocean” – Lee Crockett of the Pew Environment Group continues blogging about fishery management with this piece on how we can increase the size of fish populations (or help them “gain weight”) in 2012. (Lee’s blog series used to be titled “Overfishing 101″; it is now called “Bottom Line.”)
• January 11: “Thoughts on Steve Arnold’s rescue from around the web” – Last weekend, Rhode Island fisherman Steve Arnold’s fishing vessel sank in the North Atlantic Ocean. Thankfully, Steve and his crew were rescued by the Coast Guard and are all okay. This blog post contains links to other sources’ thoughts on the incident and well wishes for all involved.
• January 12: “Max Harvey on giving consumers dayboat quality seafood at Summer Shack” – TalkingFish.org interviewed Max Harvey, Seafood buyer at Jasper White’s Summer Shack in Cambridge, Massachusetts, about his seafood buying practices, questions he most frequently hears from consumers, and more.
• January 13: “Fish Talk in the News – Friday, January 13″ – A weekly roundup of articles and opinion we think will interest TalkingFish.org readers. This week: catch limits on all federally managed species will be in place by the start of 2012 fishing seasons, success under the first year of catch shares for Pacific groundfish, thoughts on pair trawling in Rhode Island state waters, and an interactive timeline of the history of U.S. federal fishery management.

Catch up with the latest news from TalkingFish.org, a blog brought to you by CLF and other organizations and individuals who want to see a sustainable fishing industry in New England and abundant fish populations for generations to come. TalkingFish.org aims to increase people’s understanding of the scientific, financial and social aspects at work in New England’s fisheries. Here’s what went on this week:

• November 9: “Chef Richard Garcia on serving high-quality, responsibly-harvested and transparently-sourced seafood” – TalkingFish.org interviews Richard Garcia, Executive Chef of 606 Congress at the Renaissance Boston Waterfront Hotel, in the latest installment of our “Ask an Expert” feature.
• November 10: “Fish Talk in the News – Thursday, November 10″ – A weekly update of recent news stories that might interest TalkingFish.org readers. This week: responses in opposition to the proposed catch shares ban being promoted by Congressional representatives; a great editorial about the disconnect between fishermen and government regulators; watching the popularity rise of underutilized fish species; and a decision by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC) to protect Atlantic menhaden.

A big thank you to all readers who submitted comments to the ASMFC asking them to put measures in place to protect menhaden. We bet the menhaden and the bigger fish who rely upon them for food would thank you, too!