Straits Times Forum 3 Nov 09;
I WOULD like to praise the Botak Jones chain of food outlets for its initiative to save wild fish stocks by using fish from sustainable fisheries in its dishes.
As many may not be aware of the current situation of fish stocks globally, the abundance of fish is declining, due to overfishing, and many fish species have become endangered or vulnerable to extinction. One example is the blue-fin tuna. Declining fish stocks will also mean we cannot consume fish in the near future as the human population grows further.
Botak Jones' latest dish, char-grilled mahi mahi (dolphin fish), caught my attention during my visit last Thursday night. Its promotional menu for mahi mahi stated that this fish comes from a sustainable fishery. Curious, I approached the staff to ask the source of other fish on the menu, such as fish & chips and Alaskan pollock.
I was impressed with their replies. They understood what I was asking when I mentioned 'sustainable fishery' and could tell me the types and sources of fish species they used and how the fish were caught.
I must say, Botak Jones is one of the few eateries that is aware of current fish issues and makes an effort to serve fish from sustainable harvest. It has also trained its staff well in knowledge of fish.
Although Botak Jones is just a neighbourhood eatery, we should appreciate it as ecologically conscious, compared to other big seafood restaurants whose staff do not even know what fish they are serving. It is such a shame that some are still serving blue-fin tuna.
Wong Yee Man (Ms)
