POGIES
In August,
the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission adopted
a catch limit of 105,000 metric tons per year for menhaden
(pogy) in the Chesapeake Bay. Catch limits are a new wrinkle
in the commercial menhaden fishery, which is the largest-by-weight
fishery in Louisiana at more than 962 million pounds (2003).
Pressure
on the Atlantic Commission to impose a cap had come from
environmental and sport fishing interests. Though menhaden
populations in the Chesapeake are not in trouble, there
is some evidence that populations are not as strong as in
the past.
The
menhaden is a critical component of the food web, both as
food for larger fish and as filter feeders who convert plankton
into fish biomass. Commercial operations process them into
fish oil and fish meal, which have many uses, not the least
of which is as components of animal feeds. Manufactured
feeds for aquacultured species in particular use healthy
amounts of fish meal.
Along
the Atlantic coast, only Virginia and North Carolina allow
the menhaden fishery to use purse seines. These huge, fine-meshed
nets are “pursed” around large schools of menhaden,
usually after spotter planes have found the fish from the
air.
Louisianans,
accustomed to the sight of the pogy boats and the smell
of the pogy plants, don’t realize how unusual this
site would be elsewhere.
Will
Louisiana ever see menhaden harvest caps? This topic has
been discussed by Gulf fishery managers at times, but no
action is likely any time soon.
The
action in the Chesapeake is partially a response to serious
ecological problems. Undoubtedly, changes have occurred
in the ecology of Louisiana waters from the extensive harvest
of menhaden. The main difference here is that most of our
fisheries are relatively healthy.
OYSTERS
Also
in August, the Food and Drug Administration approved irradiation
treatment of oysters, clams and mussels. This will add another
method of post-harvest processing (PHP) that can be used
to kill bacteria in oysters. Current methods include low-heat
pasteurization, high-pressure treatment and quick freezing.
All
four methods will kill most bacteria, particularly the Vibrio
species that have caused such a stir in the news. PHP oysters
have been very popular in the half-shell market; some processors
report that they can sell every oyster they treat.
In irradiation
experiments, it has been found that live oysters to be served
on the half-shell can be treated without affecting their
shelf life. That is, the oysters remain alive until shucked.
Additionally, packaged shucked oysters that have been irradiated
will have double the shelf life (up to 30 days in cold storage)
of the standard product.
Several
types of irradiation have been used to kill germs in food.
All can be effective, none leave behind any radiation or
dangerous substances and the nutritional value of foods
isn’t changed by irradiation. However, consumer acceptance
of this treatment can be low, probably because folks just
don’t like the sound of “radiation” when
used in the same sentence with “food.”
One
study found that up to 80 percent of consumers would buy
irradiated products if they were informed about why the
product had been treated -- that is, the risks from bacteria.
Then there are the folks who would starve before eating
an irradiated product. These attitudes will have to be considered
by anyone looking at applying this technology to Louisiana
oysters.
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