by J. Michael Wheeler
Part of an on-going series on Sustainable Agriculture
Friends don’t let friends eat farmed fish
Seattle bumper sticker
The Kona Coast of Hawaii is known for its volcanic-soil-grown-coffee. Now, a few miles offshore from those coffee fields, a new type of farming is taking place below the ocean’s surface. And it may change the way Seattleites feel about farmed fish.
Half the world’s fisheries are depleted from over-fishing and many formerly abundant species are all but commercially extinct. Fish farming would seemingly be the perfect solution: fish are raised in their natural habitat, the dwindling wild stocks are preserved, and there is minimal disruption to the environment.
Currently, however, many commercial fish farms are located in bays and inlets that are relatively shallow: too many fish in too little water, creating pollution that threatens both farmed fish stocks and neighboring indigenous species. (See Down on the Fish Farm No. One.)
What about open ocean fish farms? Marine biologists think that the strong ocean currents, which move millions of gallons of seawater daily, eliminate many of these problems. But open ocean farm fishing is a much greater challenge and until recently the technology to withstand the demands of fish framing in unsheltered ocean didn’t exist.
Well, you may soon be enjoying a new Hawaiian yellowtail fish, farm-raised naturally in the pristine deep waters a half-mile off the Kona coast. Kona Blue Water Farms (kona-blue.com) call themselves “the first sustainable fishery in the United States to grow fish in the open ocean from an integrated hatchery.”
Translation: Kona Kampachi, a trademarked farm-raised sushi grade yellowtail raised in a healthy, clean environment with negligible environmental impact. Kona Blue Water Farms describes its fish as having a 30 percent fat content, high enough to make it prized as sashimi and in cooked preparations:
As sashimi it exhibits a silky texture associated with the best tropical snappers, a firmness of bite that betters even the sought-after hamachi, and a complex flavor with rich notes of butter and hazelnuts. In cooked preparations, the 30 percent fat content translates to moist, meaty fillets that are almost impossible to overcook and stand up well to the zesty fusion sauces of Pacific Rim cuisine.
To farm in open ocean, Kona Blue uses the OceanSpar Sea Station (see photos). Their fish pens are attached to a 65-foot central shaft, the “Spar,” which can be raised or lowered by filling the hollow core with air or water. This allows the stations, and the fish stock, to be submerged far enough below the surface to be protected from the weather and rough water. In deep enough water, the natural ocean currents keep the water from accumulating and avoiding the biological hazards of shallow water fishing.
Kona Blue Water Farms combines this technology with forward thinking marine hatchery science that they call hatch-to-harvest:
The process of farming Kona Kampachi® begins with broodstock from Kona Blue's land-based hatchery. The fish spawn naturally, without stress or hormone inducement. Eggs are gently collected from broodstock tanks and are then placed into separate tanks where they hatch within 24 hours. This enables Kona Blue to produce Kona Kampachi® without depleting wild stocks of this fish. (Most other marine fish farms engaged in yellowtail or tuna farming rely on the capture of wild fingerlings to stock their cages.)
The fish are fed sustainable feed throughout the life cycle, comprising both live, site-raised zooplankton for newly-hatched fish; and fish and plant-based protein produced from renewable sources.
Chefs around the country, especially those with a reputation for environmental awareness, are embracing the fish in a big way. Here are some of the ways top chefs are using Kona Kampachi:
Chef Alan Wong, whose Honolulu restaurant has been voted one of the ten best in the nation by Gourmet magazine, says, “It’s a good sashimi eating fish and pretty versatile—good news for chefs.”
Bernard Guillas, executive chef of the acclaimed Marine Room in La Jolla Beach, California, seasons the fish with fennel pollen and parsley then presents it on a mound of Ecuadorian tabouleh and arugula drizzled over with lemon myrtle oil. He praises the fish for its ability to evoke the terroir of the exotic Kona coast—a place where deep blue seas meet black lava rock.
“Sweet, rich, delicate, versatile—an up-and-coming superstar,” says Chef Bernard. “Kona Kampachi® stands up to a variety of cooking techniques—sashimi, seared, cured or smoked. And it’s ethically raised in harmony with the environment.”
Master chef Roy Yamaguchi—a pioneer of “Hawaiian fusion” cuisine who parlayed the style into 31 restaurants in the continental United States, Hawaii, Guam, and Japan—was attracted to Kona Kampachi® for the ethics behind it as well as its culinary properties. He began experimenting with the fish in dishes like pulehu seared Kona Kampachi® with garlic rice and sautéed Hamakua mushrooms in an inamona (a condiment used in Hawaiian cooking made from roasted kukui nuts (candlenuts) and salt) soy fusion. Now he lauds the fish for its amazing range.
Watch for recipes such as Olive Oil Poached Kona Kampachi® with Ginger, Braised Beets and Red Cabbage and Pan Roasted Kona Kampachi® with Swiss Chard and Garlic Fingerling Potatoes from Master Chef Roy Yamaguchi in up coming articles.
Photos courtesy of Kona Blue Water Farms
Buy a Fish Farmer hat click here.