Living in the SF Bay Area, I like to think we have our pick of some of the best and freshest seafood in the States. But then I get back to Hawaii. And one of my favorite things about visiting Kona is easy access to a very tasty local fish called Kona Kampachi.Kona Kampachi has been called the Wonder Fish and is the registered commercial name for farmed Almaco Jack (Seriola rivoliana) known locally in Hawaii as kahala. Kona Kampachi is the brainchild of aquaculture venture Kona Blue, founded in 2001 by Dr. Dale Sarver and Neil Anthony Sims--marine biologists and longtime Kona residents--who believed there was an opportunity for sustainably managed open ocean aquaculture of high-value, sushi-quality fish.
What makes Kona Kampachi unique and highly prized is that Kona Blue is able to manage the entire life history of the species, from hatch to harvest, yielding a consistently high quality product. The fish is high in Omega-3 fatty acids, has no detectable levels of mercury or PCBs, and is completely free of internal parasites. Kona Kampachi are grown in open ocean pens in deep water about one half mile off the Kona coast.
Jacks, like the rest of their tuna kin, are predators. This means that farming a predatory species like Kona Kampachi requires Kona Blue to provide fish meal as a food source. So how can Kona Kampachi be truly sustainable? Well, not all fish meals are equal. Kona Blue feeds its farmed fish a feed comprising approximately 30% fish meal and fish oil from Peruvian anchovies (a sustainably managed fishery for the past 30 years) and trimmings from fish processed for human consumption, and 70% agricultural proteins and oils.
But enough of all this technical babble. How does Kona Kampachi taste?
I'm glad you asked. In an effort to provide my readers with the utmost in ocean awareness, Liz and I visited Wasabi's, a tiny yet terrific sushi house in Kona Town. They just so happened to have Kona Kampachi sashimi on their special board, and that's all we needed to see. Liz had never tried the fish before, and was a little nervous since she's a relative newcomer to the whole raw fish scene.
The presentation was spectacular. That's the Kona Kampachi (head and tail intact) surrounded by the rest of our feast.
The flesh is a delicate creamy color reminiscent of Hamachi, but with a pastel pink hue. I was a little worried that the fish head was going to put Liz off the sashimi, but she dove right in and kept pace with me as our chopsticks dueled over the last precious slices. Kona Kampachi has a clean, mild, yet rich flavor. I'm tempted to say buttery, but only in the sense that it was creamy and smooth. The sushi chef had sliced the fish so thin that each bite practically melted in the mouth. While I've seen Kona Kampachi on menus with a variety of preparations, I've always preferred the simple, purist sashimi approach for maximum flavor and impact.
All the TLC and efforts for sustainability, however, come at a premium. Our 18 slices of Kona Kampachi (I could have eaten 38 slices) set us back $18. At a dollar a slice, I wouldn't call it cheap. But when you consider the savings on reduced fishing effort for other depleted species, I consider it an investment in ocean health.
If readers would like me to undertake any further foodie explorations for the sake of ocean education, feel free to let me know. I'm always up for the challenge.
4 comments:
You're making me simultaneously miss Hawaii and sushi - two things out of my reach financially.
Jerk.
What Christie said.
I was just at a lecture by the president of Kona Blue Farms. Seems like they might actually be doing some good for the ocean.
This was published in the West Hawaii Times on April 12, 2009.
Objections not clarified
Kona Blue's Neil Sims took issue (April 3) with the letter to the editor submitted on open ocean aquaculture sent by Rob Parsons from Maui and Marianne Cufone of Food & Water Watch (April 1).
Sims referred to their submittal as a "distorted diatribe," and said it was "rife with factual errors" and gross misrepresentations. Yet he failed to cite what errors they may have listed, preferring to promote the "advancing sustainability" of his fish farming operation.
At last Sunday's meeting of the Kawaihae Local Resource Council, citizens heard presentations from Parsons, Sims, and Clyde Tamaru, a former UH-Sea Grant aquaculture advocate. I asked Sims several times to address specifically what he felt were distortions in the printed op ed. Finally, he noted three points: size of Hawaiian Ocean Technologies Inc.'s proposed ahi aquaculture project, genetically modified organisms and water quality.
He contended that the proposed Hawaiian Ocean Technologies project to raise ahi is only 24 times larger than Kona Blue, not 48 times, as stated. But, Hawaiian Ocean Technologies' draft EIS is the source of the figures that stated their intention of producing 12,000 tons of ahi yearly.
Genetically modified organisms are a concern in the aquaculture industry both in terms of genetically modifying fish and in GMO soy and corn (and other additives) found in fish feed. Despite Sims' claims that they have no genetically modified organisms in their operation, Erin Miller's WHT article (March 11) stated, "Kona Blue employees are also working to engineer a new species, which may also increase profits."
Finally, Sims contends there are no water quality issues and that data may be found on their Web site. But there is no independent testing: The monitoring is done by his company.
I believe it is wise to proceed with extreme caution when looking to manipulate nature for profit, especially with most of the fish farmed being exported. I hope others in our community will look past the hype of those invested in these proposals and help us arrive at solutions that actually address local sustainability without impacting our ocean environment and cultural resources.
Jeff Sacher
Kawaihae, HI
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