Americans love seafood. Whether it’s sushi, a grilled filet of Mahi Mahi or a tuna steak. But it can sometimes be a game of Russian roulette as to where your seafood comes from and how safe it is to consume.
Reports of tainted or even poisonous fish imports have and can cross state lines at any time, especially with an underfunded Food and Drug Administration (FDA). As imports of seafood increase from around the world, so do food safety concerns. However, a new aquaculture system in Hudson, New Yo
rk, is trying to change the face of seafood production by introducing homegrown, locally-produced seafood.
Local Ocean is a self-described “commercial zero-discharge, 100 percent recirculating aquaculture system” that produces saltwater fish for consumption. The company produces quality-controlled, sustainable fish and most recently made headlines in The New York Times for it’s production of yellowtail, also known as hamachi and a rare type of sushi that has never been available before at a retail level before.
The yellowtail is now available for purchase and at local restaurants including Mario Batali’s Eataly in New York City. The fish are delivered the same day they are harvested in order to provide the best freshness, according to Local Ocean.
The company, is housed in a 40,000 square-foot warehouse and greenhouse site in Hudson Valley and retains the goal of producing large-scale fish, both saltwater and freshwater, production in a sustainable manner.
According to the Local Ocean website, the company believes “that environmentally friendly and sustainable production practices have a dual benefit of supporting market demand for ‘green’ production while making economic sense and delivering the highest quality product to its customers.”
Local Ocean has partnered with Great Bay Aquaculture hatchery in Portsmouth, New Hampshire to acquire juvenile fish for ongoing fish supplies. To learn more click here.
Written by Katie Kelley, Social Media Intern, Winter 2011
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