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  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.

• “Bottom Line: Historic Anniversary for Fishing in America’s Oceans”: Lee Crockett of the Pew Environment Group discusses the 2007 reauthorization of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act and the progress that has been made because of its strict limits on overfishing.
• “Fish Talk in the News – Friday, January 27″: This week’s news roundup: discussion of NOAA’s potential move from the Department of Commerce to the Department of the Interior, talking fishery management with Maine fisherman Glen Libby, and updates on menhaden conservation and the Gulf of Maine cod stock assessment.

• “An Inconvenient Truth About Gulf of Maine Cod” – Jud Crawford of the Pew Environment Group discusses Gulf of Maine cod and fisheries science.
• “Local Oysters Deliver a Taste of Place” – We’ve rounded up some recent oyster-related items readers might enjoy. Learn about oyster culture in several regions around the U.S. and how oystermen keep oysters alive in root cellars over the winter.

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.

• December 9: “Chefs Collaborative: Why accurate fish stock assessments matter” – Guest blog from Chefs Collaborative executive director about why accurately assessing the size of fish populations is important for fishermen, coastal communities, the government and even chefs and consumers!
• December 12: “Fish Talk in the News – Monday, December 12″ – This week in the news: disagreement over the decision to appeal the judge’s ruling in the Amendment 16 case, the Nature Conservancy buys a groundfish permit in Maine, support for catch shares in the Gulf of Mexico, locally sourced meats and seafood will be big in 2012, and the need to keep the Magnuson-Stevens Act strong.
• December 14: “Video: Watch my Testimony on Rebuilding a Vibrant New England Fishery” – A video of CLF’s Peter Shelley testifying before the House Committee on Natural Resources in early December.
• December 15: “Overfishing 101: Dissecting Sectors” – Lee Crockett of the Pew Environment Group writes about the New England groundfish fishery’s first year and counting under the new sector management system.
• December 16: “Fish Talk in the News – Friday, December 16″ – Gulf of Maine cod stock assessment, fish may be more susceptible to ocean acidification than previously thought, the Coast Guard and fishermen work together to find mutually agreeable solutions, and a new app to track the mercury in your sushi.

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 30: “There’s something wrong with this picture” – CLF’s Peter Shelley blogs about Governor Patrick’s recent request for $21 million in federal fisheries disaster assistance for Massachusetts and how that request not only lacks sufficient evidence to show a $21 million loss, but also threatens to divert attention and scarce funding from the real problems – and opportunities for improvement – in the region’s fisheries.
• December 2: “Fish Talk in the News – Friday, December 2″ – A roundup of the latest news that will interest TalkingFish.org readers. This week: more opinions on stability and groundfish management, a funding request for acoustic-based fish stock assessments, oyster die-off from ocean acidification, and the Nature Conservancy’s work to create sustainable fisheries in the Pacific.

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!

This was a big week for TalkingFish.org! We launched a re-designed website as well as a new Special Features section, making it easier than ever for you to get the information you’re looking for about the scientific, financial and social aspects at work in New England’s fisheries. Here’s a weekly recap of this week on TalkingFish.org:

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  Alex Hay outside Mac's Seafood - read an exclusive interview with him at www.TalkingFish.org

  November 1: “Fishermen to Council: Sectors are working; don’t make any drastic changes” – A recap of the New England Fishery Management Council’s workshop to discuss lessons learned from the first year of sector management. The main message fishermen shared at the event? Sectors are working, and we need to stay the course with this system. Fishermen also stressed the importance of stability to their business operations.

• November 2: “Know where your fish comes from” – The first piece in TalkingFish.org’s new “Ask an Expert” series – this week: an interview with Alex Hay of Mac’s Seafood in Wellfleet. Alex talks about his company’s commitment to local and sustainable seafood and provides a great recipe for pan-seared hake with wild mushrooms.
• November 3: “Overfishing 101: A Small Fish With Big Problems” – This is the latest piece in Lee Crockett of the Pew Environment Group’s “Overfishing 101″ series, and it deals with Atlantic menhaden, a small fish that is “a pillar of the East Coast marine food web.” Sadly, Atlantic menhaden populations have declined to record lows. The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission will consider options to protect menhaden when it meets next week in Boston.
• November 4: “Fish Talk in the News – November 4, 2011″ – A weekly update of recent news stories that might interest TalkingFish.org readers. This week: reactions to the Boston Globe’s seafood fraud investigation, more opinions on the groundfish sector system, and NOAA will consider listing river herring under the Endangered Species Act.
• November 4: “Peter Shelley: Call to oust chief of NOAA is bad for a fishing industry in flux” – CLF’s Peter Shelley’s Letter to the Editor of the Boston Globe in response to Senator Scott Brown’s call for NOAA administrator Jane Lubchenco to resign.

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:

• October 20: “Fish Talk in the News – Thursday, October 20″ – A weekly update of recent news stories that might interest TalkingFish.org readers. This week: reactions to Senators Brown and Ayotte’s bill to end the sector system, an interview with chef Barton Seaver, Senator Kerry’s letter of requests to NOAA Administrator Jane Lubchenco, and NOAA’s announcement that they will fund at-sea monitoring costs through the 2012 fishing year.