Fishing with Rod Discussion Forum
Fishing in British Columbia => Fishing-related Issues & News => Topic started by: Novabonker on March 15, 2011, 09:31:41 PM
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My wife's company took everyone and the spouses up to the Observatory on Grouse Mountain for dinner. The guy that I sat next to is an avid angler and we chattered about hunting some steel. We opened the menu and lo and behold- the menu offered wild steelhead gravolox. I asked the waiter and he assured us that it was indeed wild steelhead. How can that be? They had a sustainable seafood insignia by the item for what that's worth. I used to use that as a guideline, but it appears to be useless. Here's a link to the menu:
http://www.grousemountain.com/Winter/dining/the-observatory/alacarte-menu.asp
(Review - ridiculously tiny portions,slow service, grossly over priced, had to stop for a bite on the way home)
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Probably from the Olympic Peninsula Wa. Not good.
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I'll vote farmed rainbow trout
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Gross misrepresentation at the very least- Do they have a sustainable commercial wild steelhead fishery anywhere? This place went out of it's way to promote organic and the waiter swore that it was wild steelie. Nobody ordered it, so we didn't find out. (The apple fritter dessert was hilarious- 3 Timbits covered in jellyish film and a tablespoon of ice cream ;D)
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http://stage.oceanwise.affinitybridge.com/seafood/steelhead (http://stage.oceanwise.affinitybridge.com/seafood/steelhead)
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Stillwater steelhead. http://www.seaagraseafood.com/steelhead.php (http://www.seaagraseafood.com/steelhead.php) ???
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Lois Lake, BC has a steelhead fish farm which supplies cactus club with their fish, possibly coming from the same place. i know costco also sells steelhead as well, not sure where thats from though.
^beat me to the punch
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Don't believe everything you read. It's all marketing. Alaska black cod anyone ?
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Don't believe everything you read. It's all marketing. Alaska black cod anyone ?
I prefer sablefish..... ::) ::)
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http://www.seaagraseafood.com/steelhead.php
The Steelhead are hand fed. You can't get any better than that. I bet they get a belly rub too.
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I've asked about the Costco "steelhead" and apparently they're farmed from Washington state.
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I'll bet "wild" and "steelhead" are both loosely used here. Land-locked lake rainbow perhaps?
I suppose some wild steelhead get caught in salmon nets, is it legal for the commercial guys to sell the bycatch?
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Not sure what the issue here is. I ate a wild steelhead the other day. Caught it myself and ate it. If there is a fishery ie: Vedder, what's wrong with eating a fish? Now if you are distinguishing between a clipped (hatchery release) and a non clipped (wild), that is different.
Lots of ways for a restaurant to get sustainable wild steelhead. I have eaten at local establishments that bring in their wild steelhead from Ontario (Niagara and Great Lakes)
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I have eaten at local establishments that bring in their wild steelhead from Ontario (Niagara and Great Lakes)
Those aren't steelhead
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And today I saw wild rainbow trout for sale in Save On. It was a fillet, whiteish colour and didn't resemble anything close to the red rainbow I've eaten.
Those aren't steelhead
They aren't even catfood. Tasted once- YUK :P
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It is pretty fishy that the david suzuki foundation and vancouver aquarium(ocean wise) would jump on board and approving this fish farm companies product. I do not the exact details of the feed content but I would comfortably bet that it is the same feed and pigment used in salmon farming(which is good) and it is not done without controversy.
http://www.prpeak.com/articles/2009/07/25/business/doc4a69ece48da92719976602.txt
I certainly am sure the product is fine and deserves an organic label. That is easy to do IMO. I believe that it is a scenario that is like closed containment. It is a situation where that kind of license and lease is one of a kind so why not support it if it can't grow like the closed containment idea.
more about this company:
http://www.prliving.ca/content/1010/04.html
http://www.prpeak.com/articles/2010/11/18/news/doc4ce33651ca96f435483020.txt
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Tribes in Washington state sell some of their steelhead catch, they allowed by law 50% of salmonids in the state. It is called The Boltd decision after the judge that rendered the judgement. ;D
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I have eaten the rainbows from Lake Superior and they tasted fine, some were as large as steelhead and could have come from the Skammia strain of steelhead that were introduced to the great lakes. But all steelhead would taste like shyt if they are dripping milt shortly before frying. ;D ;D
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here is the reply
not Wild Steelhead
Hi Steve,
I apologise for my delayed response. I believe there may have been some misunderstanding with regards to the steelhead trout that you saw on The Observatory’s menu. The steelhead trout that The Observatory is using is actually a farmed steelhead, not wild, that is Ocean Wise recommended.
This steelhead salmon (actually a true trout, since it never spends any time in the ocean) is farmed in Lois Lake in BC. Lois Lake is a man-made dammed lake. Since this farm is not located in the open-ocean there is no risk of damaging the surrounding marine environment. The farm is very strictly managed and they conduct benthic surveys and sampling to ensure the outputs from the farm are within reasonable limits. They have created a wetland for UV treated waste water. Since the farm is located in a man-made lake, there is little risk of parasites or disease being transferred to wild stocks. Overall this farm is committed to continuous improvement.
I hope this has helped to clarify. If you have any other questions just let me know.
All the best,
Teddie Geach
Ocean Wise Eastern Coordinator
Vancouver Aquarium
Conservation Department
p. 416-764-3093
c. 647-638-6794
www.oceanwise.ca
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here is the reply
not Wild Steelhead
Hi Steve,
I apologise for my delayed response. I believe there may have been some misunderstanding with regards to the steelhead trout that you saw on The Observatory’s menu. The steelhead trout that The Observatory is using is actually a farmed steelhead, not wild, that is Ocean Wise recommended.
This steelhead salmon (actually a true trout, since it never spends any time in the ocean) is farmed in Lois Lake in BC. Lois Lake is a man-made dammed lake. Since this farm is not located in the open-ocean there is no risk of damaging the surrounding marine environment. The farm is very strictly managed and they conduct benthic surveys and sampling to ensure the outputs from the farm are within reasonable limits. They have created a wetland for UV treated waste water. Since the farm is located in a man-made lake, there is little risk of parasites or disease being transferred to wild stocks. Overall this farm is committed to continuous improvement.
I hope this has helped to clarify. If you have any other questions just let me know.
All the best,
Teddie Geach
Ocean Wise Eastern Coordinator
Vancouver Aquarium
Conservation Department
p. 416-764-3093
c. 647-638-6794
www.oceanwise.ca
Thanks for the response- I just checked the website and I see they've changed the menu to no longer include that item. Perhaps the terminology might be changed to be a little more reflective of the product as to not confuse the diner. What they sell is NOT steelhead, but farmed trout.That seems disingenuous to me. Three at our table saw the item and were quite puzzled.
The efforts at Lois Lake to make fish farming a more sustainable and eco friendly is laudable.
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The efforts at Lois Lake to make fish farming a more sustainable and eco friendly is laudable.
X2 ;)
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Many landlocked fish farms use "Steelhead" strain Rainbow. This allows them to call the produce Steelhead even though the fish never see salt water.
Calling it wild steelhead is certainly wrong, but "farmed" fish now have a stigma associated with them that would hurt sales. This may have played a part in why they removed it from the menu.
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Here's a good one for you folks: From the dinner menu of 100 Nights, the restaurant at the Opus hotel in Vancouver. http://onehundrednights.ca/pdf/100-Nights-dinner-menu.pdf (http://onehundrednights.ca/pdf/100-Nights-dinner-menu.pdf)
"Squamish Steelhead Fillet $26
hand made gnocchi, spinach and leek sauce, toasted almonds"
No oceanwise symbol.
it appears these are probably the same farmed trout from Lois Lake near Powell River.
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I would tend to think that "squamish steelhead" gets consideration for my vote for misrepresentation. Is the chef a former politician? ;D
There's a fine line between "artistic license' and flat out Pinocchioisms.
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I would tend to think that "squamish steelhead" gets consideration for my vote for misrepresentation. Is the chef a former politician? ;D
There's a fine line between "artistic license' and flat out Pinocchioisms.
The latest fish farm tactic........disguise your product as something else. How about BBQ chicken as grilled Condor?