European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - August 16, 1986, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Magazine we re eating More by Thomas j. Knudson now York times he Ocean in Montauk n.y., is full of strange creatures fish and molluscs so ugly and unusual that commercial fishermen have traditionally considered them worthless and discarded them from their nets. But that is changing As millions of americans seeking less fatty healthier diets Are eating More seafood including some species considered trash fish just a few years ago including squid shark and butterfish. Those once undesirable species Are being served in restaurants around the country being sold fresh or Frozen in Domestic markets and being shipped overseas. Along the Long Island coast and the rest of the Eastern Seaboard the growing demand for nontraditional fish Lias helped Rescue scores of economically hard pressed fishermen. Without squid our operation would to marginal instead of profitable said Richard lofsted jr., general manager of the Shinn Ecock fishermen s cooperative in Hampton Bays. Squid has helped a lot of fishermen  even the lowly monkfish one of the ugliest denizens of the deep is finding increasing favor As a seafood. Its thick White Tail meat known As poor Man s lobster is commanding a Good Price these Days said Patrick Wetzel Captain of the wanderlust ii a 78-foot dragger. While catching squid near Montauk recently Wetzel also pulled in about 50 pounds of monkfish which he said he was Able to sell for about $1.30 a Pound. Much of the so called underutilized species Are sold to foreign countries where people have Long Savoured species americans have typically tossed overboard. The British for instance Are fond of spiny Dogfish a Small shark for fish and chips. The French relish the sea Robin a spine studded primitive looking fish scorned by most . Fishermen. And the italians like conch a Type of sea Snail for Spaghetti sauce and salads. But in recent years As the popularity of seafood has soared in Ameri Omore and More Consumers have begun to Experiment with nontraditional dishes from squid rings to shark steaks according to seafood experts. Last year Domestic consumption of seafood reached distinguishing the rarer varieties no Eio Welsh puffers aria quake Bonito Buffalo ran Chwi creator Black drum we Fursh Eato  Flah  no. Lotto Mua Eata Orange roughly Rouget red Mullet sardine fresh sea room skate Ray squid Calamari Tuat St Peter s fish origin Atlantic North Atlantic Canadian and new York Lake. Southern flan Fame Atlantic and que of Mexico Atlantic Udal Marthea and estuaries new York Watera Newyork Aten mostly cultivated mostly Tram new England new zealand Morocco Maine new York Watera new York Watera new York Watera cultivated fish mostly irom is Rael but increasingly from latin America and United state arms How sold skinned and gutted whole Tiah he ads removed whole if Small otherwise at aka fillets or portions occasionally whole fish but Al Lola Are preferred smoked fish available whole Flash or fillets whole occasionally skinned and filleted smoked eel Avail Able seeks smaller Dogfish Are often in fillets tails Only skinned bulk in Sheila fillets usually Frozen or thawed whole fish whole fish whole Flash usually sold in pieces fillets preparation must be thoroughly skinned and stripped of All vis Cera bread and saute or deep Fry marinate in brine or acid lated water Grill whole Dan Sauta or i Iii at aka saute Grill or bake bread and saute or Broil with accompanying sauce Saul or bake skin and Cut in steaks or fillets Grill deep try in Batter or Stew in sauce use a awol Flah Grill a at aka or kebabs saute or bake in sauces saute Grill add to ate a and chowder or poach and serve cold in salad discard open shells clean beards steam in water Broth or White wine serve hot or cold saute Broil or bake in sauces or a or acute larger fish May be oven baked or filleted and aau leed out split and remove Backbone Grill or Fry in breadcrumbs or Oatmeal remove Heads and skin then fillet bread and deep Fry or acute remove fans and skin if necessary marinate Over night in brine or acid lated water poach or acute stuff Bod Lea and bake or Cut in Ringa and deep try Toutt or Stew in sauce or poach and serve cold in salad broiled sauteed or steamed a record 14.5 pounds per capita up from 13.5 pounds in 1984, according to the National Marine fisheries service. By 1990, the figure is expected to increase to 30 pounds per capita. That trend As Well As Strong foreign demand for Domestic fish is helping Long Island s commercial fishermen Many of whom have been Hurt by declining stocks of hard dams Bay scallops and ground fish and by a ban on striped Bass fishing. Many Era now catching and Selling underused species much like troubled midwestern Farmers Are experimenting with alternative crops. Laymen can see Little future in their traditional fisheries said Bill Carew a former commercial Fisherman and lawyer in Montauk. So they Are moving to bigger boats and going after things like  squid is one of the most Active fisheries on Long Island in the summer traditionally a slow time for Many commercial fishermen. Squid is a great Bonus for us said Wetzel. If we weren t catching squid we d be doing something else but i Don t know if it would be As  recently More than 40,000 pounds of squid were unloaded at my Atlantic seafood buyers ltd., All of it destined for Domestic use said Joseph Moakley owner of the packing company. Squid has really come into its own said Moakley. They re a major part of our summer  the catch of butterfish along the East coast has gone from very Small amounts about a decade ago to 6,000 to 7,000 tons a year. Last year 136,000 pounds of spiny Dogfish were caught commercially in new York up from 77,000 pounds in 1974. Conch Are another thing the Guys Are picking up said Carew. That s something else they used to kick overboard. But now there s a demand for them As a substitute for  there is a trend toward More Domestic use of underutilized species said David Creston. A fisheries management specialist with the National Marine fisheries service. You can go into restaurants and find squid on the menu. Even butterfish Are starting to show up on menus and in fish markets but the Domestic consumption of underused species while increasing has not achieved the level Many experts had hoped for Crestin said. There is still a Long Way to go he said. Most americans he added still prefer conventional seafood such As White Flaky fillets Over the Darker Oiler meats common in Many underused species such As Mackerel and bluefish. In recent year government and private agencies have encouraged Consumers to eat More nontraditional fish in part because the fish Are inexpensive and abundant in Domestic Waters. And the use of More of these species helps conserve traditional species such As flounder and Fluke which Are often Over fished Crestin said. Also numerous scientific studies in recent years have suggested that increased seafood consumption May help reduce the risk of heart disease and have other beneficial health effects. Crestin said that recent studies showing that fish containing High Levels of a key polyunsaturated fatty acid called Omega-3 Are healthy constitute the most exciting development in years for the seafood Industry. Some of the most beneficial species he said Are the Oiler fish such As Mackerel and  saturday August 16, 1986 the stars and stripes Page 13