Pacific Fresh Swordfish A Sustainable Seafood Choice

Love swordfish steaks, but a bit hesitant about purchasing swordfish for sale for ethical reasons? Relax! You can enjoy your fresh swordfish without guilt as long as you pay attention to its origins. Here’s what you should know about fresh swordfish and the factors that make swordfish steaks and fillets an excellent addition to your diet.
Some Fresh Swordfish is a Sustainable Choice
Nothing quite says summer like fresh swordfish on the grill, but many people hesitate to buy swordfish for sale because of sustainability and ethical fishing concerns. While there are concerns about the sustainability of swordfish caught overseas, the NOAA and the Monterey Bay Aquarium have rated nearly all swordfish caught in U.S. waters – and particularly in eastern Pacific and California waters – either a Good or Best Choice for those who are concerned about seafood sustainability.
More specifically, swordfish caught with harpoon or handlines in the U.S. Canada, North Atlantic and East Pacific are a Best Choice. Swordfish caught off the California coast using drift gillnets are a Good Alternative, because the gillnets result in little to no unintended catch of endangered sea creatures.
Swordfish Population is “Abundant” and “Sustainable”
According to the NOAA Fishwatch, the population of Pacific swordfish is abundant and not overfished, the fishing rate is sustainable and the habitat impacts are minimal. The biggest concern is “bycatch,” fish and sea creatures caught unintentionally by nets, and the California commercial fishing industry is heavily regulated to keep bycatch to a minimal, acceptable level.
Swordfish Available Year-Round
Swordfish is available year-round, but fresh swordfish from California is most abundant from August 15 through January 31 each year because of a combination of swordfish migratory patterns and seasonal fishing restrictions. In 2010, U.S. commercial fishermen landed more than 800,000 pounds of swordfish off the West Coast, but you’ll seldom see the best fresh California swordfish for sale. The majority of fresh swordfish from California is sold directly to the domestic seafood restaurant business.
Buy Fresh Swordfish Direct from an Online Seafood Market
If you’ve ever tasted the difference between swordfish steaks prepared in the best restaurant kitchens and the frozen swordfish available at your local grocer, you’d never believe they were the same fish. Unless you live on the West Coast, you don’t have easy access to California swordfish – at least, until now. These days, if you want to enjoy the flavor and health benefits of fresh swordfish, you can buy it directly from an online seafood market and taste the difference.

Fun Facts About Seafood: Why You Should Buy Dungeness Crab

Is there anything more delectable than the sweet, melt-in-your-mouth meat of the Dungeness crab? Once known as Metacarcinus magister – the great crab – Dungeness crab is the traditional symbol for the astrological sign, Cancer. It is also commonly considered to be the most delicious of all the crab species. Next time you decide to buy Dungeness crab, here are a few interesting facts to sprinkle into your conversation with the fishmonger or chat about over dinner.
It’s a Male
If that Dungeness crab is on your plate, it’s very probably a male. In most states, it’s illegal to harvest female Dungeness crab to help keep the population of crab stable. How do you tell a male from a female Dungeness crab? Flip it over and check out its underside. A female crab will have a fairly wide, oval abdomen, while a male’s abdomen will be narrow and triangular.
It’s a Left Coaster
Dungeness crabs are found along the Pacific Coast of the United States, where they are among the most important commercial shellfish. Fishermen have occasionally found stray Dungeness in the Atlantic Ocean, but no one is quite sure how they got there. Scientists suspect that they may be bought live from an online seafood market and then released into the ocean. If you buy Dungeness crab live, it’s not a good idea to introduce it into your local waters because it could pose a hazard to local crabs.
Only About a Quarter of a Crab’s Weight is Meat
When you buy Dungeness crab, only about one-fourth of its weight is edible meat. The rest is shell and other unpalatable body parts.
If You Love Fresh Dungeness Crab, You’ve Got a Lot of Company
The average annual harvest of live Dungeness crab along the entire Pacific Coast ranges between 35 and 55 million pounds. That’s a LOT of succulent goodness.
Dungeness Crabs Change Their Clothes Frequently
In the first two years, young Dungeness crab can go through several shells a year. Eventually, they slow down and only molt – shed their shell and grow a new one – once a year, generally growing as much as an inch in size.
You Can Buy Dungeness Crab Anywhere
You no longer have to live on the West Coast to enjoy fresh Dungeness crab. These days, you can order seafood online, including whole Dungeness crab and live Dungeness crab, and have it delivered right to your door.

Diver Scallops on the Grill for the 4th of July

Holiday weekends were made for grilling, and so were diver scallops. Of all the shellfish and Pacific seafood choices out there, few take to the grill as deliciously as these plump, sweet morsels of pure delicious awesomeness. Try one of these recipes for your 4th of July holiday barbecue and start a new Independence Day tradition.
Grilled Citrus Scallops
Start with 2 pounds of diver scallops – make sure you ask for dry scallops, not those that have been bulked up with extra water. Mix together the juice and zest of two limes, some fresh chopped garlic, fresh minced parsley and cilantro, salt and pepper. Add the scallops and toss them to coat, then let them soak up the juices for about 20 minutes. Pat the scallops dry and thread them onto wooden skewers that have been soaked in water for half an hour. Lightly brush the sides with olive oil and grill them over hot coals for 2-3 minutes per side.
Simple Grilled Diver Scallops
Sometimes simplicity is the best. Diver scallops are delicious all on their own. If you love the sweet, succulent taste without embellishment, try this method of cooking them. Pat the dry scallops dry with a paper towel and lay them on a tray. Sprinkle with salt, pepper and lemon pepper, turning them to make sure all the sides are coated with seasonings. Refrigerate the scallops until the grill is hot. Grill the scallops for 2 to 3 minutes on each side and serve on a bed of rice pilaf.
Skewered Diver Scallops and Swordfish with Fennel
Fresh swordfish and scallops are a surprisingly delicious contrast to each other, especially when they’re grilled with onion, lemon and fennel. You can buy swordfish and order diver scallops and other seafood online to make sure you have the freshest seafood possible. (Again, make sure you specify dry scallops.) Cut the swordfish steaks into cubes about the same size as the scallops. Cook fennel in boiling water for about 4 minutes, drain it and cool it. Marinate the seafood and fennel in olive oil, lime juice, onion, thyme, fennel seed and pepper for half an hour. Alternate diver scallops, fresh swordfish, fennel bulb, mushrooms and chunks of sweet pepper on wooden skewers. Brush with olive oil and grill over hot coals until scallops are opaque and swordfish flakes.
Don’t have a fresh seafood market near you? Take advantage of the Internet and order diver scallops and other fresh seafood online for the upcoming holiday. It’s worth it!