Adjusting the way you view the world
Wise words.
#markeather #knowyourproducer #ethical #ikijime
#sustainable #passionate #perfect #savetheoceans #endmasscatching
#endoverfishing #savetheplanetearth #savetheplanet
#raisingawareness #saveourseas #everypersoncounts
#bethechangeyouwanttosee #takeastand #mothernature
#beautiful #fragile#racingextinction
https://www.instagram.com/markeatherseafood/
Can you tell what this is?
Can you tell what this is?
#markeather #knowyourproducer #ethical#ikijime#sustainable
#passionate #perfect #savetheoceans #endmasscatching
#endoverfishing #savetheplanetearth #savetheplanet
#raisingawareness #saveourseas
#everypersoncounts#bethechangeyouwanttosee #takeastand
#mothernature #beautiful #fragile#racingextinction
https://www.instagram.com/markeatherseafood/
Mother Nature brings it again
Mother Nature turning it on yet again in beautiful #tasmania.
There is no Planet B
#ikijime #markeather #knowyourproducer #ethical #sustainable
#passionate #perfect #savetheoceans #endmasscatching
#endoverfishing#savetheplanetearth #savetheplanet
#raisingawareness #saveourseas#everypersoncounts
#bethechangeyouwanttosee #takeastand#mothernature
#beautiful #fragile #racingextinction
What about Aquaculture? Part 7
My take on the current state of Aquaculture – a 7 part series, today is 7 of 7
#markeather #knowyourproducer #ethical #sustainable
#passionate #perfect #savetheoceans #endmasscatching
#endoverfishing #savetheplanetearth #savetheplanet
#raisingawareness #saveourseas #everypersoncounts
#bethechangeyouwanttosee #takeastand #mothernature
#beautiful #fragile #racingextinction
https://www.instagram.com/markeatherseafood/
What about Aquaculture? Part 6
My take on the current state of Aquaculture – a 7 part series, today is 6 of 7
#markeather #knowyourproducer #ethical #sustainable #passionate
#perfect#savetheoceans #endmasscatching #endoverfishing #savetheplanetearth
#savetheplanet #raisingawareness #saveourseas #everypersoncounts
#bethechangeyouwanttosee #takeastand #mothernature #beautiful
#fragile #racingextinction
https://www.instagram.com/markeatherseafood/
What about Aquaculture? Part 5
My take on the current state of Aquaculture – a 7 part series, today is 5 of 7
#markeather #knowyourproducer #ethical #sustainable #passionate
#perfect #savetheoceans #endmasscatching #endoverfishing
#savetheplanetearth #savetheplanet #raisingawareness
#saveourseas #everypersoncounts
#bethechangeyouwanttosee #takeastand
#mothernature #beautiful #fragile #racingextinction
What about Aquaculture ? Part 4
My take on the current state of Aquaculture – a 7 part series, today is 4 of 7
#markeather #knowyourproducer #ethical #sustainable #passionate
#perfect #savetheoceans
#endmasscatching #endoverfishing #savetheplanetearth
#savetheplanet #raisingawareness #saveourseas #everypersoncounts
#bethechangeyouwanttosee
#takeastand #mothernature #beautiful #fragile
#racingextinction
What about Aquaculture? 3 of 7
My take on the current state of Aquaculture – a 7 part series, today is 3 of 7
#markeather #knowyourproducer #ethical #sustainable #passionate
#perfect#savetheoceans #endmasscatching #endoverfishing #savetheplanetearth
#savetheplanet #raisingawareness #saveourseas #everypersoncounts
#bethechangeyouwanttosee #takeastand #mothernature #beautiful
#fragile#racingextinction
https://www.instagram.com/markeatherseafood/
What about Aquaculture? 2 of 7
My take on the current state of Aquaculture – a 7 part series, today is 2 of 7
#markeather #knowyourproducer #ethical #sustainable
#passionate #perfect#savetheoceans #endmasscatching
#endoverfishing #savetheplanetearth#savetheplanet
#raisingawareness #saveourseas #everypersoncounts
#bethechangeyouwanttosee #takeastand #mothernature
#beautiful #fragile#racingextinction
https://www.instagram.com/markeatherseafood/
What about Aquaculture ? 1 of 7
My take on the current state of Aquaculture – a 7 part series, today is 1 of 7
#markeather #knowyourproducer #ethical #sustainable
#passionate #perfect #savetheoceans #endmasscatching
#endoverfishing #savetheplanetearth #savetheplanet
#raisingawareness #saveourseas #everypersoncounts
#bethechangeyouwanttosee #takeastand #mothernature
#beautiful #fragile #racingextinction
A change in methods is needed
I’m not wanting to eliminate other hardworking seafood producers …just to change their practices for the better #markeather #knowyourproducer #ethical #sustainable #passionate #perfect #savetheoceans #endmasscatching #endoverfishing #savetheplanetearth #savetheplanet #raisingawareness #saveourseas #everypersoncounts #bethechangeyouwanttosee #takeastand #mothernature #beautiful #fragile #racingextinction
Inspiration
Such an inspirational man
#markeather #knowyourproducer #ethical#sustainable #passionate
#perfect #savetheoceans #endmasscatching#endoverfishing #savetheplanetearth
#savetheplanet #raisingawareness#saveourseas #everypersoncounts
#bethechangeyouwanttosee#takeastand #mothernature #beautiful #fragile
#racingextinction
https://www.instagram.com/markeatherseafood/
Beautiful Tasmania
Stunning sunrise in beautiful #tasmania. Mother Nature never ceases to amaze. We only have one planet.
#markeather #knowyourproducer #ethical#sustainable #passionate
#perfect #savetheoceans#endmasscatching #endoverfishing
#savetheplanetearth #savetheplanet#raisingawareness
#saveourseas #everypersoncounts
#bethechangeyouwanttosee #takeastand #mothernature
#beautiful #fragile #racingextinction
The hidden by-catch you don’t normally see when you order unsustainable seafood
The price of UNSUSTAINABLE Seafood
#markeather #knowyourproducer #ethical#sustainable #passionate
#perfect #savetheoceans #endmasscatching #endoverfishing
#savetheplanetearth #savetheplanet #raisingawareness
#saveourseas #everypersoncounts#bethechangeyouwanttosee
#takeastand #mothernature #beautiful #fragile#racingextinction
#bycatch #regram via and thanks to @pastorando
delicious. Produce Awards 2018
Very proud!
#produceawards #makeitdelicious
Thank you delicious. Australia !
Finally my side to the story
Big-name chefs back seafood entrepreneur
A JAPANESE export deal lost to suspected Yakuza involvement, allegations of government negligence and the passionate support of some of Australia’s best-known chefs are part of a long-running, multimillion-dollar dispute.
High-profile seafood entrepreneur Mark Eather, a vocal advocate for sustainable and ethical fishing, claims not only did Austrade cost him a lucrative business, but subsequent actions by fisheries authorities amounted to entrapment and malicious prosecution.
In Mr Eather’s corner are restaurateurs Shannon Bennett, Neil Perry and Philippe Leban as well as Tasmanian independent MP Andrew Wilkie, former Greens leader Christine Milne and former Labor trade minister Craig Emerson.
At times, fisheries authorities have attended well-known restaurants in a search for illicit seafood as part of their investigations.
Mr Eather claims the inquiries are driven by his longstanding battles with authorities over sustainable fishing and a vendetta reaching back to his dispute with Austrade officials who introduced him to a dodgy Japanese seafood buyer, who failed to pay for more than $500,000 in exported produce in 2000.
“Anyone who knows what has happened in the past knows that Mark was targeted specifically,” Vue de Monde chef Shannon Bennett said of Mr Eather’s dispute with Austrade and marine authorities.
“He is without a doubt in a small group of friends and suppliers that I would risk everything to say they are 100 per cent what this country was known and made famous on — generosity, hard work, passion, aspiration with the never-give-up attitude.”
Chef Neil Perry, founder of the Rockpool Group, also backed Mr Eather’s integrity and professionalism.
“I know of no other fisherman who cares about the resource or the environment more,” Perry said.
100 NEW VARIETIES OF FISH TO TRY EATING THIS EASTER
Mr Wilkie said he was concerned about the treatment Mr Eather had received and the government response to the Austrade issue.
“I did indeed try and assist Mr Eather some time ago when he approached me about his dealings with Austrade because I sensed that he had been poorly treated,” Mr Wilkie said.
“Regrettably the government refused repeatedly to revisit the matter so I can well understand Mr Eather’s deep and continuing concerns about that issue in particular.”
Without admitting liability, government lawyers authored a deed of arrangement whereby part of the losses on the Japanese fish exports to Kyoen Kasamatsu and the company Yamaichi Tsusho were paid in compensation to Mr Eather. But he said it was only a fraction of the overall loss and the terminal impact on his business after he was repeatedly asked by Austrade Nagoya and its representative Ian Brazier to deal with Kasamatsu.
Ms Milne said she discussed the Eather case with then-trade minister Emerson before Labor’s leadership spill in 2013, with a view to a potential “Act of Grace” payment from the government for his unrecovered losses.
“It really upset me at the time and it still does, I hold Austrade totally accountable, it ruined a decade of his life,” Ms Milne said.
“Austrade was asking someone to basically do them a favour and Mark is left destitute at the end.
“My conclusion at the time was that Austrade officials (were trying to) meet their economic targets and they hadn’t done any due diligence (on the Japanese seafood buyers).”
Ms Milne said she believed Mr Eather signed the initial deed of arrangement in 2001 to settle the matter because he was under significant financial duress.
“I did have a meeting with Craig Emerson (then in the Labor Gillard government) and at that meeting he gave me an understanding that the government or the department would look at a one-off payment — an Act of Grace payment,” Ms Milne said.
“As far as I’m concerned the matter will never be closed until there is an Act of Grace payment made.”
Mr Emerson told the Herald Sun he recalled the meeting but said such payments were outside his then portfolio.
“I had sympathy with Mr Eather’s situation and made inquiries of Austrade (but) I did not agree to an Act of Grace payment for Mr Eather, since responsibility for Act of Grace payments lies outside the trade portfolio and I would have had no authority to make such a decision,” he said.
Special Minister of State Scott Ryan’s spokeswoman said the Department of Finance had not received an application for an Act of Grace payment for Mr Eather.
Austrade confirmed a 2001 settlement was made with Mr Eather but claimed it covered “all losses”, an assertion Mr Eather heatedly disputes.
“Austrade introduced Mr Eather to Mr Kasamatsu and … Tsusho 17 years ago for the supply of seafood to Japan. Several months later Mr Eather’s business failed,” an Austrade spokeswoman said.
“Austrade also offered to support Mr Eather in pursuing his claim against his business partners in Japan but Mr Eather did not take up that offer.
“Austrade’s actions in this matter have been independently reviewed by external counsel, the Commonwealth Ombudsman and the Office of Legal Services, which have all confirmed that Austrade handled the matter appropriately.”
Mr Eather said only half of the losses were covered by the deed.
“I clearly made them aware that 50 per cent was only going to pay (to) temporarily stave off the wind-up orders and the other 50 per cent was essential for my survival — that is why the clause is in the deed (to recover the remainder),” Mr Eather said, adding independent reviews of Austrade’s actions ignored the fact the Kasamatsu and Tsusho entities were fake entities.
“They must have known that neither party existed, so knowingly drafted a fraudulent deed.”
To rub salt into wounds, on a second battlefront with bureaucracy, Mr Eather was hit with a $7700 fine and $169,666 in penalties in Hobart’s Supreme Court last year for what he said were legally purchased lobsters, but the licensed processor he bought them from was unaware they needed to be tagged.
In another case in January, Mr Eather was also fined $2000 for an administrative licence breach he said was a further example of the “extraordinary” lengths authorities had pursued him.
After the original case was dismissed in the Supreme Court, the Crown appealed and arguments wound all the way to the Court of Appeal and High Court.
Mr Eather said he was compelled to plead guilty after the five-year legal process had imposed another crippling financial burden.
“I couldn’t afford to go through that ludicrous five-year, $500,000 process all over again,” he said.
“The sale was documented as required by law and all forms were completed and the sale was phoned through to the authorities as required by law, and every judge involved has confirmed this.”
Mr Eather said a federal anti-corruption commission needed to be established to investigate such matters.
A Tasmanian Department of Primary Industries, Parks, Water and Environment spokesman would not comment on specifics of the case but said all decisions on any prosecutions were made in line with the Director of Public Prosecutions policy.
BRING ON A FEDERAL ICAC!
Shannon Bennett’s new seafood-only restaurant ‘Iki-Jime’ has opened
#repost
https://www.broadsheet.com.au/melbourne/food-and-drink/article/ike-jime-docks-cbd-bennett
Walking in to Iki Jimē, you may feel you’ve stumbled into a ship: there are drawn curtains, blackened walls and low-hanging lights making the outside world seem far away. This is the latest addition to Shannon Bennett’s fleet of restaurants; it replaces the 11-year-old French restaurant Bistro Vue. Even though the site’s reincarnation retains some of Vue’s physical features, Iki Jimē is setting an entirely new course.
“It’s all about Australian seafood, ethically and sustainably caught,” says Vue Group executive chef Justin James. Iki Jimē plans to do one thing, and do it well, with a menu dedicated wholly to seafood.
“To do anything right, you should dedicate all of your focus and creativity on it,” says James. “There’s no famous rib-eye.”
Instead you’ll find Josper-roasted abalone stuffed with calamari; a Spanish mackerel chop dressed in nasturtium vinaigrette; and a grilled whole barramundi.The man behind the seafood is the Tasmanian-based Mark Eather, who practises the Japanese fishing technique for which the restaurant is named. Iki Jimē involves spiking a fish’s brain as soon as its caught, then immediately freezing it for optimum quality. It’s said the technique harnesses more flavour since the fish doesn’t suffer from distress or rigor mortis. Eather has 17 vessels around the country and supplies seafood to the entire Vue group.“It’s all hand-dived, line-caught, and no trawling,” says James. “We want to take native ingredients and think about ways we can be creative and tell a story with them.“One philosophy you’ll find throughout the Vue group – always start with the best produce.”Sam Homan, who has been with the Vue Group at Bennett’s flagship fine diner Vue de Monde since 2014, is heading Iki Jime’s kitchen. The menu begins with a number of smaller dishes such as oysters, a Moreton Bay bug tart and snapper “snags” followed by four mains and four sides.“We just like to have fun as well, we look at the classics and play around with them,” James says. Specifically, he’s talking about Iki Jime’s play on the prawn cocktail and a nod to the Aussie barbeque with snapper sausages served with a tarragon emulsion and kohlrabi slaw.Things get a little more serious with the mains. The whole barramundi is cooked in a Josper charcoal oven and served wrapped in paper bark with lemon myrtle, chilli and clams.“We put a couple of native logs in there as well,” says James. “It gives it a nice smoke.”Iki Jimē
430 Little Collins Street, Melbourne
(03) 9691 3838
Hours:
Tue to Thu 11.30am–midnight
Fri & Sat 11.30am–1am
ikijime.com.au
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delicious. Produce Awards 2017
Very proud! Thank you delicious. Australia
#produceawards #makeitdelicious @deliciousaus
Access to Product (Update: No longer available via Calia)
UPDATED 14/04/2018: Thank you to those people who informed us…For further clarification, we do not supply Calia, despite any items that you might read which tell you otherwise.
************************************************************************************
UPDATED 03/05/2017: I’ve had various and ongoing queries from people about this, so, for further clarification, contrary to Calia‘s website, menu and social media, as of Friday 21/4/2017 Mark Eather Seafood have withdrawn supply of our products to Calia. If you have any queries about how to access our product, please refer to https://mark-w-eather.com/
Many thanks!
Mark Eather
#calia #caliaemporium #japanesecuisine #melbourne #melbournecbd#emporiummelbourne #emporium #japanese #melbournecity#ilovemelbourne #finedining #michelinstar #dining #melbournefoodie#premiumeconomy #affordableluxury #franciscoaraya #lux #lifestyle#restauranttoretail #michelinchef
We need aquaculture, but it needs to be done sustainably and ethically
Interview today for ABC Rural 03/01/2017
http://www.abc.net.au/…/prominent-fisherman-calls-b…/8158600
Bringing utopian appetites to the table
Gastronomers! You may be interested in attending this event.
The 21st Symposium of Australian Gastronomy will be celebrated in Melbourne, Australia, from Friday 2 to Monday 5 December 2016. Friday and Saturday sessions are at the University of Melbourne and Sunday and Monday sessions at the William Angliss Institute, with intriguing expeditions elsewhere – see the current Program. I am very honoured to be involved as a speaker.
Mark Eather
delicious. Produce Awards- Gold Winner- The Sea
Thanks to delicious. and Miele for the Gold medal. Very honoured!!
@deliciousaus #deliciousawards2016 @delicious.Australia @Miele.Australia #produceawards #makeitdelicious
‘PROMANCE’ LINKED AS SECRET INGREDIENT BEHIND SUCCESSFUL CHEFS
” ‘PROMANCE’ LINKED AS SECRET INGREDIENT BEHIND SUCCESSFUL CHEFS”
Shannon Bennett & Mark Eather
“Fish from a net is unsustainable – no top chef in Australia should be using trawled seafood,” says Shannon Bennett, of Vue de monde in Melbourne. That’s why Bennett and other restaurant luminaries rely on Mark Eather for much of their seafood. Eather practises a sustainable, hand-caught approach to fishing – the opposite of the mass-catch model.
Eather uses the traditional Japanese ike jime method, which aims to catch quickly, kill quickly and chill quickly, so there is no stress on the animal.
“What you get in terms of quality compared to trawled seafood is a million times better,” says Bennett, who has worked with Eather for a decade. The two were introduced by Neil Perry, who was admiring Eather’s line-caught snapper at Tokyo’s Tsukiji fish market. Ironically, it came from Australia.
At that point the wild fisherman mostly sourced his products for Japanese clients. Perry spread the word back home, recruiting Bennett and Kylie Kwong, who banded together to support the outspoken fisherman so he could operate in Australia.
Eather is currently working on a sustainable fish farm of the future with experimental ocean ponds in Tasmania and Queensland.
“Aquaculture is the way forward,” says Bennett. “Yes he has to charge three times as much for his product, but it’s incredible. If we don’t support wild fishermen we’ll be looking back and talking about what fish used to look like in the very near future.”
The pair is in touch three or four times a week, and Bennett occasionally goes out on the boat with Eather.
“It’s a relationship based on trust, total trust,” says the chef. “Trust comes with knowledge and he’s given me so much knowledge.”
delicious. Produce Awards 2016 – The Sea: Gold Medal
Thanks to delicious. and Miele for the Gold medal. Very proud!
@deliciousaus #deliciousawards2016 @delicious.Australia @Miele.Australia #produceawards #makeitdelicious
delicious. Produce Awards – The Sea
Very proud to be a part of the delicious. Produce Awards 2016. Here we are in QLD catching Spanish Mackerel which was submitted for judging.
@deliciousaus #deliciousawards2016 @delicious.Australia #shannonbennett #markeather #sustainability
State Winner in the delicious. Australia produce awards 2016
Delighted to announce that we have been selected as a State Winner in the delicious. Australia produce awards @deliciousaus#deliciousawards2016 #produceawards
Victorian Government’s proposed ban on commercial net fishing in Port Phillip Bay Victoria
My Comments about Victorian Government’s proposed ban on commercial net fishing in Port Phillip Bay Victoria.
I’ve been meaning to comment on this earlier as I’ve been getting requests for my thoughts on this ban.
Let me cut to the chase … The ban is great. The Victorian Government need to be applauded for having the guts to finally make a decision based on the protection of the resource and environs … rather than insipidly be swayed by the power of the vote !! One can only hope that Canberra will also take a leaf out of their book.
The mindless selfishness that motivates the protestors opposing this ban is beyond belief. I have many questions for them, but one in particular that I must ask of them …”Why is it that Port Phillip Bay was once ‘the home of the XL Snapper’, yet now they are so very rarely caught”.
Let’s do a comparison of net vs individual line caught fishing.
Individual Line Caught Product
- Is the purest form of, and original, artisanal form of fishing.
- Is totally selective in catch … and if you do catch an unwanted or undersized product – it is immediately returned to the water ALIVE.
- Has zero footprint on the environs i.e. when you leave the fishing ground there is no evidence of your effort there.
- Cannot ‘ghost catch’ the likes of Whales, Dolphin, Seals, Birdlife etc.
- Does not present a navigational hazard in any way.
- All of the above are very significant points … but this one is the biggest advantage … Premium line caught product fully optimises the value of the resource. Quite often a premium line caught product will bring twice [or more !] the price of it’s mass caught counterpart because the product is pristine.
Net Fishing
- Is not ‘fishing’ at all …. It is mass catching entrapment by stealth.
- Is NOT selective in catch at all. It will catch whatever comes into it’s path and most are dead when the net is retrieved, so undersize or unwanted catch is generally shovelled over the side dead. In fact, quite oten there is more discarded dead over the side from a net fishing operation, than what is retained.
- Has a MASSIVE footprint … and who knows how long the substrate takes to regenerate to it’s original condition ?? … and at what cost to the planet ?? Remember … this is the very nursery of hides that nurture / protect the young juveniles.
- Regularly ‘ghost catch’ the likes of Whales, Dolphin, Seals, Birdlife etc.
- Nets always present navigational hazards – particularly when not marked properly, or at night.
6. All of the above are very significant points … but this one is the biggest disadvantage of them all … Mass Net Caught product devalues the resource by at least 50%. Quite often a premium line caught product will bring 2 or even 3 times the price of it’s mass caught counterpart.
Those who are protesting are purely motivated by their desire to either sell or purchase “cheap” fish…with zero concern for either the resource nor the environment.
BEYOND BELIEF ?? …… INDEED !!!!
Mark Eather
Press Release : Mark Eather Response to Charge of Lobster Poaching/Trafficking – Verdict is “No Case to Answer”
Press Release : Mark Eather Response to Charge of Lobster Poaching/Trafficking – Verdict is “No Case to Answer“
Many have enquired how my “trafficking” charge in the Supreme Court of Tasmania has been travelling and I’m very happy to say that this week, after 3.5 years and a cost to me of $200,000 in legal fees [borrowed], I have been cleared of the charges with a decision of ‘No Case to Answer’/ ‘Unanimously Not Guilty’.
Whilst the court proceedings were ongoing, I wasn’t able to speak freely about the case …. until now.
This outcome was always expected.
Hopefully this verdict will result in a change to the manner in which the administrators in Tasmanian Fisheries management conduct themselves. Their attitude to date has been bombastic, vexatious and combative with the fishing stakeholders in the industry.
This has got to stop. Fisheries should be committed to actually managing the fishery in an ethical and sustainable manner. Fisheries need to fully understand their own laws and regulations and work with the fishing industry to ensure compliance in a consultative …. not vexatious manner.
They need to work with fisherman rather than treat us as targets who can be used to promote Machiavellian agendas. I can’t imagine how much this ridiculous court case has cost Tasmania. And I’m not the only fisherman who has suffered this kind of treatment. Sadly, I know of innocent fishermen that have had to plead guilty or make a plea-deal as they simply couldn’t afford the time, nor the money to defend their case properly in the Supreme Court.
Of course, we need to use the full force of our laws to eliminate poachers, and those that knowingly put the resource into peril …. But surely not use that same Modus Operandi on well-meaning, genuine and hard working souls who may happen to incorrectly interpret one of the plethora of regulations and laws. A simple phone call, or friendly visit is in order … and not a massive, time wasting / costly court action.
For two very long weeks in a dock, I have observed a Prosecution case that (a) indicated that Lobster sales are less than 1% of my business, (b) that every Lobster was legally taken, and purchased, (c) a Wild Fisheries Compliance Manager that couldn’t answer some of the questions pertaining to his own rules [along with 4 very experienced Barristers, and a Judge having extended debate about the very same] … so how the hell is a fisherman expected to know them verbatim ?? and (d) despicably, this charge was REALLY about retribution for my continual embarrassing of Fisheries Officials and Decision makers – via my mission to educate the average punter of what they are actually up to … as can be easily deduced from the fact that they charged me [and conducted a National media broadcast] on the very day that I was to speak at an Environment Tasmania Fundraising dinner at MONA, which I had asked my dear friend Kylie Kwong to come down and host.
3.5 years and lord knows how much Departmental manpower & money ?? …. and the Supertrawler ‘Geelong Star’ LEGALLY creates armageddon along our coasts ….. just one example of numerous tragedies playing out in our industry, and sickeningly condoned by Fisheries Bureaucratic Boffins.
Tasmania and Australia deserve much better than this … our fisheries resources are diamonds, and all Fisheries decision makers / administrators need to start Managing the resource ethically and astutely, rather than making decisions and issuing licences directly proportionate to the size of the donation provided to their Political Party or Department.
For more information, please see the following articles.
http://www.themercury.com.au/news/scales-of-justice/tassie-fisherman-to-the-stars-mark-eather-has-no-case-to-answer/story-fnj8cre7-1227410828356
http://t.co/m51en75QFN
Or contact me at https://mark-w-eather.com/contact/
Many thanks,
Mark Eather
Mark Eather & Shannon Bennett Response to the “What’s The Catch?” SBS Program
02/11/2014
Subsequent to this program airing last Thursday night, some of my clients have experienced ill-informed diners demanding to know if the establishment has MSC Certification. This prompted the following statement being made by Shannon and I. For your further information, I have provided links of relevance to MSC certification and its dubious nature below.
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Hi all,
As you might be aware, an SBS program debuted Thursday night entitled “What’s the Catch?”.
While both Mark and I agree that bringing attention to the issue of sustainable fishing methods is crucial, there are some flaws with much of the content in this series.
This email is designed just for education purposes, there is nothing political here and nothing to gain, we just need people to be more informed and make better choices.
This is our joint statement:
Let us start by saying that we commend both SBS and host Matthew Evans for bringing attention to the plight that Mark has lobbied so hard for, over the past 25 years, and we applaud their intent.
That said, we do have problems with many different parts of this program but of major concern is the championing of the MSC Certification and of a restaurateur that has this dubious certification – leading the national audience to believe that this was ‘world’s best practice’.
MSC Certification in our opinion is a bureaucratic con, that goes not even 10% to achieving genuine sustainability. Yes, it is an improvement, but not enough. Four years ago, Mark refused to be involved with MSC Certification, telling them that their criteria for sustainability is a farce – the techniques that they approve and endorse are still destroying our oceans and the industry.
It gives its ‘MSC Certification tick’ to operators that have improved from being TOTAL ARMAGEDDON to the fishery and environs to being just ‘TOTAL DEVASTATION’.
You can clearly see in the footage that Matthew and SBS obtained, that sickening level of by-catch. But that is when Matthew and SBS were on-board and the operators are obviously minimising their impact on by-catch by their mode of operation that night.
It is even more horrific in reality, which we have actual footage of and you will all see over the ensuing weeks – the ‘MSC Certified Vessels’ by-catch is quite often over 70% of the total catch! And there are 50 vessels doing exactly the same thing in the gulf, at the same time. One can only wonder how much fish there would be if practices like this were outlawed – along with all trawling, dredging and mass long lining.
We know how to trap prawns, which IS sustainable BUT that will mean the average punter having to be prepared to pay more for the luxury of sustainably-caught prawns and they should be a luxury – just like truffles, or a Ferrari.
Our seafood is caught with ZERO by-catch, utilising world’s best practices, with Mark factually and practically fighting this battle for over 25 years now.
Instead of asking for ‘MSC Certification’ ask for that level of detail from your ‘Sustainable’ seafood outlet or restaurant, and we will get somewhere towards a sustainable industry.
We will provide further comment on this at a later stage but thought it was important to share this information for now. In the meantime, here is an article I wrote for Munchies of VICE Magazine about sustainable seafood & my
relationship with Mark.
https://munchies.vice.com/articles/we-need-to-rethink-our-approach-to-seafood-altogether
With thanks,
Shannon Bennett, Director Vue de monde and Mark W Eather
LINKS:
Here’s a brief list of articles with a content summary as to what each is about. Hopefully they will be of use to you or at least be at-the-ready should you need something.
“Sustainable fish customers ‘duped’ by Marine Stewardship Council. The body which certifies that fish have been caught sustainably has been accused of “duping” consumers by giving its eco-label to fisheries where stocks are tumbling.” http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2011/jan/06/fish-marine-stewardship-council
MSC Sustainable accreditation considered for shark finning.“In what has already been branded a highly controversial move, Western Australia’s Fisheries Minister Norman Moore has announced he is seeking ‘sustainable’ certification for shark fins which regional fishermen wish to export to Asia. The situation raises the question why MSC would even choose to consider the option and in turn, why it would even be a possibility to seek this type of certification for the killing of species that are known around the world for being so heavily threatened.“http://www.theblackfish.org/news/sustainable-shark-finning.html
Collapsed Herring Fishery certified as sustainable by MSC. “A herring fishery has been declared sustainable despite catches being at the same low level as when it collapsed from overfishing”
http://fish2fork.com/en_GB/news/news/collapsed-herring-fishery-certified-as-sustainable
Seafish Tasmania, the company that owns the Supertrawler Margiris, is undergoing assessment for MSC accreditation. Wait. What? http://www.themercury.com.au/news/tasmania/supertrawler-abel-tasman-may-rise-again-as-seafish-tasmania-starts-fishery-assessment/story-fnj4f7k1-1227086936104
The Chilean salmon farming industry used more than 450,000 kgs of antibiotics in 2013!
This is a disgrace!
You are all aware of my thoughts on high density Aquaculture … please spend the time to look at this article, and pass this on to everyone that you know. Quite simply, Aquaculture grow-out densities [per enclosure] have quadrupled over the past 20 years – hence the need for antibiotic in the feed !!
We have to have Aquaculture for our future, but it has to be done at optimum densities for the fish to be healthy … and additionally, not to rely on mass caught wild fish stocks to feed them. The Aquaculture Industry has to educate the average punter that genuine sustainable and healthy Aquaculture product is going to cost substantially more. Just like Trawling and other mass catch wild fisheries, Aquaculture companies are getting away with these practices – because the average consumer can’t see it … or begin to understand. Wherever these principles have been utilised in terrestrial [land based] activities – they have been banned, or at least much maligned by consumers !!
ARTICLE: http://theaquaculturists.blogspot.com.au/2014/07/21072014-chilean-salmon-farming.html
Christmas / New Year Greeting [… and laugh !!]
Hi,
We all wish you all a Very Merry [and Special !!!] Christmas, ……… and a Safe, Rewarding, Prosperous and Happy New Year for 2014 !!!
You need to have some background info – to really appreciate this year’s Christmas message …… so check out the link below first of all. A Volvo advert, displaying the awesome strength and balance of Jean-Claude Van Damme !! [Volvo maintain that this feat was achieved without any “bail out” or safety net !!].
http://www.smh.com.au/technology/technology-news/jeanclaude-van-dammes-volvo-video-the-art-of-going-viral-20131116-2xnn6.html
Then …. in his inimitable fashion …. the “Mighty” Chuck sends us this memorable Christmas message ….. in a clear message to Jean-Claude – “that’s not a split, Van Damme ….. THIS is a Split !!!”
http://laughingsquid.com/chuck-norris-tops-jean-claude-van-dammes-epic-split-in-a-cgi-holiday-parody-of-the-volvo-ad/
….. and may you continue laughing all of your way through 2014 !!!
Take care … and have a great festive season !!!
Mark
Bad news. EU subsidises more boat construction…so they can export even more of their overfishing.
Sorry that I have been a bit quiet on the Blog front since the fires, guys, as my time has been at a premium!
I just had to share the following with you all … as it simply defies belief.
In précis, the E.U. directly subsidizes it’s own fishermen to build bigger vessels … so that they can then travel further, and plunder the fisheries of other countries. That’s right … their own fisheries are grossly overfished … so the E.U.’s answer is to subsidize the building of larger vessels … so that those fishermen can travel to other parts of the globe …. to overfish their stocks !!?? Read more here:
http://www.neweconomics.org/press/entry/subsidies-for-new-vessel-construction-risk-further-overfishing
Case in point – the “Magiris” Super trawler debacle in Tasmania last year – and it gets even more ugly when you also take into account that often on their trips south, these ships …. have at times, disgustingly carried toxic waste cargo to dump in the waters that they are about to plunder …Read more here:
http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5gVV_gQDsp1m8v7nPcumVc5McYV-Q
This scenario has been ongoing for many years now – E.U. Vessels already decimating the African fisheries – we collectively need to bring more attention to this farce, and the atrocities that it perpetrates !! Please send this information to everyone on your mail out list, … Cheers, Mark
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Mark Eather
Recent times- A review
This time last year I was invited to participate in the first incantation of the MOMA markets on the rooftop of David Walsh’s amazing MONA complex. Aside from having lots of fun, and spreading the sustainable and ethical fishing message, I was continually impressed by the average punter expressing their desire for quality sashimi and seafood. We initially started out with traditional raw produce and then evolved, over a number of weeks, into a myriad of sushi, sashimi and cooked seafood dishes. My intention was to again participate this year, but the recent bushfires intervened.
In May 2012 we assisted Environment Tasmania in a gala fundraising dinner which was well-received and very successful with special thanks to my great friend Kylie Kwong and David Walsh’s incredible generosity along with his marvellous staff at Moorilla/MONA.
The Supertrawler debacle became public knowledge around the same time as this event and we all know the wonderful victory that people-power ensured…..although the Supertrawler has not gone away yet…and we must keep chipping away as she is still at Port Lincoln and her operators are still trying to morph her operation and dupe the public-bureaucrats into believing that her acting as a Mother-Ship and having smaller vessels fish into her is in some way a better result. I know I am a broken record but…they will still be using the same purse-seine techniques and pillaging the same volume of fish from the same area. When are our policy-makers going to understand that our oceanic resources are diamonds and not rocks……so that their maximum-possible value is achieved, instead of their current policy of bigger-is-better and more ‘efficient’ in harvesting large volumes….which results in ever-cheaper product and the resource being disgracefully devalued? The mass-catch technique used by the Supertrawler (and others) attains only 5 % of the premium price possible for that exact same product when its caught, handled and treated for the ever-increasing sashimi market. It is just beyond comprehension, and we need to keep fighting the fight guys.
On a much lighter note, Shannon Bennett Matt Moran along with the outstanding people at Audi, asked if I would conduct one of my ‘Sustainable Catch, Prepare and Dine Onboard” fishing trips for 30 VIP guests during the Audi Hamilton Island Race week. The day was a spectacular success, as evidenced by the photo gallery below…and nobody wanted to go home! What a spectacular outing it was ! Here’s some comments:
“Cooking along side Matt Moran is always an inspiration and a boat trip with Mark always re affirms this. Mark has a way with nature that seems like to turning a tap on a nature show. You walk away with such a great feeling of respect and responsibility to look after Mother Nature. For Matt and I this always provides a great story for the plate. I urge anyone with a passion for great produce and an interest in where their food is sourced to take a trip on Mark’s boat, it truly is a once and a life time experience.”- Shannon Bennett
“Thanks to Mark and the team, was a great day out on the water, caught some amazing cod and red emperor – can’t wait to do it again!!!” – Matt Moran
“I recently had the enormous privilege with my wife to be invited to the most interesting and exclusive fishing trip ever. Among a group of very distinguished guests we had the honour to have 2 of the finest Chefs in Australia in Matt Moran and Shannon Bennett on board. But for me and my wife the highlight of the trip was the encounter with Mark Eather and the learning we got about the Iki-jime technique as well as Mark’s constant drive on sustainability in fishing. This clearly highlighted his passion and respect to mother earth we all should have without forgetting the delicious Sashimi Shannon prepared for us with the fresh caught fishes. An unforgettable moment with a truly passionate and genuine person in Mark. Keep on going my friend!- Patrick Boutellier
Please note, that due to the recent bushfires, and my infrastructure losses as a consequence, I will not be taking any further bookings for similar outings until perhaps spring of this year (and then I hope to be back in full-swing again)…sadly we were devastated by the loss of factory, equipment, vessels and family home to the bushfires.
The wonderful support and offers of assistance has been overwhelming. I am currently exploring several avenues that will enable me to rebuild bigger-and-better so that the Dunalley community has some opportunity of continued employment prospects in the seafood industry. Sadly there are several businesses who do not intend to rebuild and I’d like to find a way to employ the people whose jobs have been lost. There are some really positive opportunities that very much in their infancy at present and I will keep you further informed as we progress.
In the mean-time we have improvised such that it is ‘business-as-usual’ and I so much appreciate your continued support. God Bless.
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Mark Eather
A Merry Xmas and a Happy New Year to you all
As is likely the case for you all….this time of year is bedlam for me.
I’d like to wish you and your loved ones a very Merry Xmas and a Happy, Safe and Prosperous 2013.
Mark Eather
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Mark Eather
What does Sustainable fishing mean?
Last weekend I attended a couple of events on the ‘Blue on Tour’ Film Festival run by Environment Tasmania.
The renowned marine biologist and International Fisheries expert, Dr Daniel Pauly, delivered a talk on the persistent re-baselining of fish ( See his TedTalk here. “We transform the world, but we don’t remember it. We adjust our baseline to the new level, and we don’t recall what was there.”
“The ocean has degraded within our lifetimes, as shown in the decreasing average size of fish.” Daniel Pauly is the principal investigator at the Sea around Us Project, which studies the impact of the world’s fisheries on marine ecosystems. He shows that each time the baseline drops, we call it the new “normal.” At what point do we stop readjusting downward?”
I agree with him whole-heartedly. I’ve been espousing the same view for years. Trying to get the Fisheries management people to adopt a more sustainable view.
Also during the weekend held by Environment Tasmania was a discussion on the “Future of Tasmanian Fisheries” including an expert panel which comprised of:
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Martin Exel (of Austral fisheries and ALSO Chairman of the Commonwealth Fisheries Association (the Australian Commonwealth fishing industry peak body, www.comfish.com.au), President of the international
Coalition for Legal Toothfish Operators (www.colto.org) and a board member of the Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies (IMAS).
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Dr Nic Bax (CSIRO) and Director NERP Marine Biodiversity Hub (IMAS) and;
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Jon Bryan (Spokesperson for the Tasmanian Conservation Trust)
The discussion on the “Future of Tasmanian Fisheries” was essentially hijacked to become, well, let’s say the “Future of Supertrawlers” and how “efficiency” is the primary goal in fisheries management.
Dr Colin Buxton, who was one of the authors of the paper which SeafishTasmania (operators of the Supertrawler) used to support their Supertrawler fishing objectives, himself an audience member , stood up, did not identify himself as an author of this paper, nor his involvement with IMAS. A lively discussion on the Supertrawler ensued. His two colleagues from IMAS contributed enthusiastically.
So much for discussing the “Future of Tasmanian Fisheries”.
Recently there was an article in The Australian by Necia Wilden where she described definitions of “Sustainability”.
Necia has likely been misdirected by well-read spin doctors, referring to analytical number-based definitions of sustainability rather than considering the necessary ETHICAL component required for GENUINE sustainability.
On genuine sustainable / ethical fishing …. I could write 10 pages … but I believe there are 4 major criteria which must be met, before claiming THIS status.
1. The methodology must optimise the true maximum value for that species – thereby optimising the value of the resource that Mother Nature is providing us. Respect the resource and turn every morsel into the “diamond” that it is … not wantonly mass-catch huge volumes “efficiently” and degrade these gems into a “cheap commodity”.
2. There must be ZERO resultant footprint from your fishing effort. The environs must be as pristine and untouched as when you commenced your effort.
3. There is NO such thing as “acceptable collateral damage” – as to unwanted bycatch and environs damage.
4. Catch to orders [or your own personal needs] only … never “over-catch, just because they are there”.
5. Respect the Science, as a guide only. Genuine relativity of stock assessment is reliant on a “control” to compare to. We have been trawling our Oceans since the 14th century … so quite simply, there is no “control” with which to compare to. [Refer to the Dr Pauly comments above re: “the new normal !!”].
I am yet to see any “Sustainable and Ethical” fishing certification that encapsulates all of these criteria – particularly #1, which by design I always place first in my list. It is conveniently ignored by all ….. as it is an “inconvenient truth” …… mass catching, on massive vessels, for trips that take weeks and months at a time – simply ARE NOT optimising the resource’s value. Yet, it should be the first criteria – each and every time a fishing right is to be afforded to a prospective operator.
The recent Supertrawler “Magiris” [now “Abel Tasman”] debacle is a classic example. Last weekend, I was met with a response from Martin Exel [one of her learned support team ] that the Supertrawler “is the most efficient way to catch the resource” . This “bait fish” [their terminology] which is caught by the Supertrawler, when in premium condition, can command a price more than 20 times that of their mass trawled catch YIELD. Why intentionally DEVALUE a product?
Of further concern is:
(a) why does the Supertrawler not catch their fish in their Northern Hemisphere home ?? – answer, there aren’t any left … so the EU subsidise them to come down south and plunder our hemisphere instead ??
(b) this scale of operation has never been tried in our waters … who knows what such massive catches will do when caught in a very small and localised manner ?? and;
(c) I undertand that the people on the ground in Port Lincoln have a whole different slant on where the fish caught by the Supertrawler is going …. far different to the mantra of the vessel operators, who state publicly “this fish is going to feed the starving of West Africa !” …. which by the way, are ALSO waters that the Supertrawlers have already plundered into oblivion.
Globally, we must stop all mass catch techniques. No trawling [which Dr Pauly quite rightly referred to as the “chainsaws of the sea”]. There should be no dredging, no auto-lining, no longlining or droplining [with more than 50 hooks at a time with the lines being attended to CONTINUOUSLY].
We should go back to basics with genuine “individually line caught” techniques … then, and only then, will we be able to achieve a pristine control, rather than constantly adjusting the “normal baseline” downward ….. we might even find that Mother Nature will bless us all with local sustainable bounties that will feed us all into the future.
When people who are involved in fisheries management are proposing that high-volume efficiency is king, how do we even begin to make the significant changes required to ensure sustainability?
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Mark Eather
What’s new
Algal Blooms (and dredging/trawling)
The recent toxic algal blooms in Tasmania affecting all bi-valve molluscs and other organisms worries me. These blooms keep re-occurring. No Marine organisation seems to be seeking (and eliminating) the cause. I have noticed trends of commercial trawling and dredging followed by algal blooms and I am concerned that the authorities don’t see (or chose not to see), the correlation. They just seem to say “Oh well, another algal bloom. Better steer clear of mussels/oysters/lobsters/clams/abalone “….but what about the massive cost to not only the ecosystem but also the poor souls eking out a living from those affected species.
Why no interest in finding the cause and eliminating it?
It is widely accepted (globally) that toxic algal blooms occur because the seabed has been mechanically disturbed and organisms which normally reside in the seabed (benthic substrate) have been lifted up into the water column. The seabed normally acts as a self-sustaining septic tank, and when it’s disturbed it introduces these buried nasties into the local ecosystem, disturbing availability of light, changing growth environments and the result is that the toxic algal bloom is the most opportunistic organism and it flourishes to the disadvantage of other species….making it dangerous to consume the organisms which have been affected by it and/or consumed it. Combine this occurrence with over-fishing …which means that the organisms which normally eat the algal blooms simply aren’t there…and you have a recipe for disaster.
Dr Daniel Pauly has conducted a lot of work on trawler trails. Some links to his and other research here:
Kyle Van Houtan and Daniel Pauly’s research on fishing trawler mudtrails
NASA’S SATELLITE picture of Trawlers trails which are visible from space
Get Up Campaign to save the Great Barrier Reef
Fisheries and Global Warming: Impacts on Marine Ecosystems and Food Security
At the height of recent scallop-dredging activity, Marion Bay, when viewed from the air, was brown… one would think this phenomenon to be more than coincidental with the occurence of the recent algal bloom. I want Tasmanian and Australian fishery authorities to step up and start doing something to control algal blooms. They can start by eliminating the mechanical processes which lift the organisms up into the water column and ecosystem. Stop trawling and dredging! …of any kind.
Pre-empting the plethora of ill-informed, red-necked and self-interested reaction to these comments – there are extremely sustainable eco-friendly alternatives to both trawling and dredging…the ones that I have endeavored to have implemented for some 20 years now. For more comprehensive detail, please peruse my website.
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Mark Eather