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  The International Boston Seafood Show

  March 14: “How Investing in Our Fisheries Pays Off” – Lee Crockett of the Pew Environment Group explains how the Fisheries Investment and Regulatory Relief Act (FIRRA) of 2012 would provide financial support to fishermen and improve management of our oceans.

• March 15: “Some Thoughts from the Boston Seafood Show” - CLF Program Assistant Samantha Caravello writes about the Boston Seafood Show, U.S. reliance on seafood imports, and how important it is to try to support local fishermen instead.
• March 16: “Fish Talk in the News – Friday, March 16″ – This week’s roundup of interesting fish stories: a stop-motion video of where your sushi is coming from; fish is high on the list of disease-causing imported foods; a federal district court judge rules to protect river herring; and groundfish populations may have been overestimated in the 2008 stock assessments.

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  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.

The Gulf of Maine (Northern) shrimp season ends today (Photo credit: Aldric D'Eon, courtsey of the NEFSC).

• February 13: “A behind the scenes peek at the Gulf of Maine cod stock assessments” - What really happened to Gulf of Maine cod? Heather Goldstone of Climatide investigated last week by talking to Liz Brooks and Mike Palmer, two of the scientists at the Northeast Fisheries Science Center who were involved in producing the 2011 Gulf of Maine cod stock assessment.

• February 14: “To help GOM cod, NMFS should not touch closed areas” - It’s been widely reported that at its February meeting, the New England Fishery Management Council voted to ask the National Marine Fisheries Service to take emergency action on Gulf of Maine cod for the 2012 fishing year. The measures proposed, including a mere 3-13% reduction in the catch limit, were notable largely for their failure to address the condition of the depleted cod stock. But there is an aspect of the proposed package that has received little attention, which is troubling, because it would have NMFS open up five of the six existing areas currently closed to groundfishing.

• February 17: “Fish Talk in the News” - A weekly roundup of stories we think will interest readers. This week: news and opinion on Gulf of Maine cod regulations and fisheries science, the end of this year’s Gulf of Maine shrimp season.

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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.