Celebration of Maryland Seafood in Annapolis MD

The Maryland Department of Agriculture and the Maryland Department of Natural Resources will be co-hosting a “Celebration of Maryland Seafood” at the Boatyard Bar & Grill in Annapolis on Tuesday, Feb. 22 from 6 p.m. until 10 p.m.

The purpose of the dinner is to promote Maryland’s diverse and high quality seafood from the Chesapeake Bay, Atlantic Coast and aquaculture industry through local restaurants,  grocers and other retail markets. By empowering the local seafood market, Maryland is building a sustainable fishery, reducing the industry’s carbon footprint and creating green jobs.

The evening includes a cocktail hour with raw bar and five-course meal featuring Maryland oysters, crabmeat, striped bass (rockfish) and yellow perch.

The event is hosted by the Boatyard Bar & Grill, Maryland Department of Agriculture and Maryland Department of Natural Resources. Agriculture Secretary Buddy Hance and Natural Resources Secretary  John Griffin will be featured speakers.

Tickets are $40, which includes all food, tax and gratuity, and will be limited to the first 125 to reserve their spot. Call the Boatyard Bar & Grill at 410-216-6206 to RSVP and for more information.

source: Maryland Department of Agriculture

Valentines Day Dinner Ideas - Seafood Dishes

Seafood is always a popular choice for Valentine's Day dinners. Among the most commonly served seafood products are oysters, shrimp, scallops, lobster, crab and salmon. The following list includes several ideas for Valentines Day dinner appetizers and main courses:

Oysters

 - raw oysters on the half shell
 - steamed or roasted oysters
 - oyster stew

Shrimp

 - shrimp cocktail
 - stuffed shrimp
 - grilled shrimp
 - scampi

Lobster

 -  whole boiled lobster
 - grilled rock lobster tails
 - lobster rolls
 - lobster bisque

Crab

 - Alaskan king crab or snow crab legs
 - crab leg assortments; king, snow, Dungeness
 - fresh whole Dungeness crabs
 - Maryland blue crab crabcakes
 - traditional crab soup
 - stone crab claws

Scallops

 - bacon wrapped sea scallops
 - sautéed scallops

Salmon

 - smoked salmon dip (appetizer)
 - planked salmon
 - grilled salmon steaks
 - salmon chowder

Visit this extensive collection of seafood recipes to find the perfect meal for your next holiday dinner.

Fos Certifies Toralla Farm Raised Mussels

Friend of the Sea has certified Toralla, a South American mussels producer. Toralla, S.A. is a family company set up in 2000 based in Chonchi, on the isle of Chiloé, Chile.

Through its subsidiary, Cultivos Toralla, Toralla manages farming of over 250 hectares of sea. Mussels are gathered using long-line farming methods. By applying latest technologies to each stage of the process, Toralla harvests 12 thousand tonnes of mussels per year which are then sold globally.

Toralla is HACCP and PAC certified in strict compliance with the regulations on critical point control and quality assurance. It has also achieved the BRC Global Standards certification for safety and quality.

source: FoS

Faroese Mackerel Fishery to Lose MSC Certification

The Independent Adjudicator, Melanie Carter has upheld an Objection by Marine Scotland in the assessment of the Faroese Pelagic Organization (FPO) North East Atlantic mackerel fishery.

Following the successful objection, the certifier, Det Norske Veritas, will have to amend its Determination taking account of Ms Carter’s decision that the fishery has not met the MSC Standard.

At the time of the objection, the Faroe Islands had not committed to a Coastal States Agreement to manage the combined catch of all nations fishing for mackerel and Ms Carter concluded that it was unreasonable of DNV to describe the fishery as meeting the minimum level required in relation to Performance Indicator 3.1.1.  This requires a fishery’s management to be ‘consistent with international laws or standards aimed at achieving sustainable fisheries’.

The decision follows an oral hearing and further submissions by the certifier, fishery client and the objectors, Marine Scotland.

source: MSC

U.S. Consumer Seafood Prices Predicted to Increase for 2011

The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Economic Research Service has released its 2011 Consumer Price Index analysis for projections on food prices.

According to the index, U.S. consumer seafood prices are likely to rise from 3.5 to 4.5 percent in 2011 while
overall food prices are expected to increase 2% to 3% during the period.

Food purchased from grocery stores as well as food-away-from-home (restaurant) prices are forecasted to increase 2 to 3 percent.