Help with fish!

Sapsorrow

Hi guys,
I'm trying to encourage my boyfriend to eat more oily fish, luckily he loves the stuff and is eating it about 4 or 5 times a week. What I want to know is how do I make sure the fish is ethically sourced? I really don't want to support fishermen who use trawl nets for example and I don't want to buy fish thats liable to become or is already endangered. So what fish should I buy? Also he's particularly fond of smoked fish, which of these are ok? Are any of the lidl or aldi ones ok, their frozen and vacuum packed fish are so cheap and tbh it's handier than buying fresh fish even if it's not ideal.

Pembily

Being a harsh b*tch - I am kinda looking after myself only at the minute - would love to support the local fishermen but money won't allow!!! I have never reserached the Lidl Smoked Salmon or Aldi Mackeral but I love both - both vaccum packed and I personally think possibly better than Dunnes or Tesco!!!

When I am working I intend on buying more from the butcher and from local fishermen as I already buy my veg as local as possible!!!

Stella777

tilapia, though I find it kind of bland tasting. Maybe you could find a way to "jazz it up."

Also, I don't know if tilapia counts as an oily fish.

brianthebard

Maybe look up Hugh Fernley-Wasitsname for sustainable fishing, he has done a good few programmes about it. A good place to start would just be to go to your local fishmonger and ask where everything came from. A lot/most of the smoked fish available are really just regular fish painted with a colour and a flavouring added. Not all obv, but its hard to know the difference (probably a massive price gap). It should be easy enough to smoke fish at home though if you look up some methods, there are a number of different methods/devices that can be used.

Sapsorrow

Stella777 wrote: »

tilapia, though I find it kind of bland tasting. Maybe you could find a way to "jazz it up."

Also, I don't know if tilapia counts as an oily fish.

Never heard of that one! Is that the common name?

brianthebard wrote: »

Maybe look up Hugh Fernley-Wasitsname for sustainable fishing, he has done a good few programmes about it. A good place to start would just be to go to your local fishmonger and ask where everything came from. A lot/most of the smoked fish available are really just regular fish painted with a colour and a flavouring added. Not all obv, but its hard to know the difference (probably a massive price gap). It should be easy enough to smoke fish at home though if you look up some methods, there are a number of different methods/devices that can be used.

Right I'll get my mum to record me that next time it's on telly so, I don't have any channels in my place.

God I didn't know that about the smoked fish, I've read some disturbing stuff on farmed salmon alright but I suppose these days why would I expect it to be any different. There's no integrity in the food industry anymore. Has anyone actually researched the lidl and aldi brands to see where they get their fish?

Sorry if it seems like I'm being lazy but I'm up the walls with exams at the minute and don't need an excuse to go off researching anything other than WHO public health initiatives

I was thinkng of buying him a fishing rod as a suprise but I'm not sure if he'd be interested in bashing a fish's head in. Where we live is ideal though (blackwater valley) and I always think hunting your own meat is the way to go if you can spare the time. I would LOVE to build a little smoke house, am planning on building a clay oven in the garden next autumn.

brianthebard

He has a website I'm sure, plus his shows should be on 4OD.
I've never bought fish from lidl or aldi so can't comment there.
Fishing is good fun but a little unpredictable, plus if you are after oily fish (although perhaps that isn't essential) then it might be difficult to target such species. I've seen different ways of smoking on tv like smoking salmon beside a fire, or in an oven with wood filings,and I've seen a little smoking kit in one of the fishing shops in Galway, its a little tin box from what I can see. A smoking house would be the next step up but there are other methods which might not require as much initial effort (to be researched after your exams no doubt!)
Btw arctic char might be suitable for your situation, I know that there are some farms in Ireland that breed this fish. These people live close enough to me at home in Sligo and should meet your concerns about sustainability and such.

Sapsorrow

brianthebard wrote: »

He has a website I'm sure, plus his shows should be on 4OD.
I've never bought fish from lidl or aldi so can't comment there.
Fishing is good fun but a little unpredictable, plus if you are after oily fish (although perhaps that isn't essential) then it might be difficult to target such species. I've seen different ways of smoking on tv like smoking salmon beside a fire, or in an oven with wood filings,and I've seen a little smoking kit in one of the fishing shops in Galway, its a little tin box from what I can see. A smoking house would be the next step up but there are other methods which might not require as much initial effort (to be researched after your exams no doubt!)
Btw arctic char might be suitable for your situation, I know that there are some farms in Ireland that breed this fish. These people live close enough to me at home in Sligo and should meet your concerns about sustainability and such.

Nice one, ya I've seen those little tin box ones alright they're seriously convenient, I'd say if I were to do it I'd just get some plans off the internet to build my own one, I doubt it's that hard!
Never heard of Charr, I'll give them an email and see if they they stock anywhere in Cork!

brick tamland

I've been trying eat more fish recently too. Up till now i've being getting it from the fish counter in superquinn but it can be pricey enough. I was in Lidl over the weekend and seen a bag of frozen Alaskan Pollock Fillets. Seemed good enough value at €7 for a large bag. Has enyone tried these? Just wondering how they would compare to unfrozen fish from the fiskmongers. I Think Pollock is also quite sustainable too.

carolinespring

at one stage I went crazy tea smoking salmon and chicken. I havent done it in a fair few year nut I am sure I have the "how to" around some place. All you needed was a ols saucepan a steamer, plus the widow open fro a few hours after!!!

corkcomp

smoked haddock FTW .. it sort of goes with anything .. not sure if it is an oily fish though (all googled out for one day:p)