Safe Seafood : Fish of the Future

Most life forms are smart enough to avoid this corner of California’s low desert in the dead of summer. Midday temperatures of 115 degrees are routine. Nothing much moves except for the waves of heat.

Yet, it is here, on the northern tip of the stagnant Salton Sea, that about 20 technicians and laborers tend to a series of round, cement tanks brimming with fish. But fish thrive here because an abundant source of artesian well water lies just below this 120 acres of rock and scrub brush. There is so much water that the 5,000 gallons a minute required by this elaborate operation can’t put a dent in it. And since 1984, Aquatic Systems, Inc. has used it to perfect its production of striped bass.

At present, Aquatic Systems is capable of producing 800,000 pounds of this hybrid fish--a cross between a striped bass and a white bass--per year but is in the midst of tripling its capacity after a recent infusion of capital. Company officials hope that someday its product, branded as Golden Sunshine Striped Bass, will be among the top five farm-raised species in the country--a list that now consists of catfish, salmon, crayfish, oysters and trout.

Surely, the National Research Council of the National Academy of Sciences had such a place in mind when it recommended that the federal government conduct a $12-million study to learn of ways of improving the nation’s aquaculture industry. The NRC report, issued in May, said that the United States has a “weak” program of supporting such ventures. Among the reasons to expand aquaculture efforts, according to the NRC, are the creation of new jobs, providing a reliable source of seafood, relieving pressure on populations of threatened fish species and improving the U.S. trade deficit, because most seafood sold in this country is imported.

James Carlberg, who has been involved with aquaculture since 1972 and is Aquatic Systems’ vice president/general manager, says his firm settled on hybrid bass because of its white flesh, firm texture and meaty flavor. The fish, which is served in many upscale restaurants and markets in Southern California, is especially popular on the East Coast, in cities with significant Asian populations and in Europe.

The company is now selling between 20,000 and 25,000 pounds of live or chilled bass per week, with about 6,000 pounds going to the Los Angeles area alone. And there are ambitious expansion plans, including the addition of a processing plant.

The hybrid bass apparently thrive under conditions that seem severe, crowded by the thousands into a single tank. Yet, this form of “intensive aquaculture” allows for greater control than is found in other farms, where the fish are raised in wide, rectangular earthen ponds.

“We control everything in the fish’s environment: oxygen, carbon dioxide, nitrogen, feed,” says Stephen J. Mitchell, associate biologist at Aquatic Systems. “If any one of these factors fails and no one rectifies the problem, the fish will be dead in about 30 minutes. . . . So someone’s on duty 24 hours a day.”

No such “die-out” has occurred here, in part, because computers monitor the status of each tank, providing constant print-outs on conditions. Oxygen, for instance, is checked every half hour and if levels drop dangerously low, alarms sound.

The tight controls also allow for greater product safety and a “pollution-free environment.” Carlberg says there have been no harmful bacteria found on the fish. The company has also refrained from administering antibiotics that are allowed for use in aquaculture. And the fish are also regularly analyzed for herbicides and pesticides.

At one point, Aquatic Systems even hatched its own fish, but now the firm contracts with companies that specialize in providing the fingerlings or baby bass. It takes about 10 months for the minnow-sized fingerlings to grow to harvestable size--between 1 1/2 and 2 pounds, fed on specially designed pellets. About two pounds of feed are needed to raise one pound of fish.

Despite the seemingly miserable conditions outside, Carlberg proclaims, “Everything here is optimum: the temperature, the water and the species.”

Striped bass may be used interchangeably with any other whitefish in recipes. In this dish, the marinade is sealed into the fish before the actual grilling. If you like, you can poach the fish completely, instead of grilling it, then chill it in the stock before serving over the salad.

GRILLED BASS SALAD

1/4 cup rice or cider vinegar

3 (1/2-inch) pieces ginger root

1 tablespoon minced garlic

1/4 teaspoon black peppercorns

1 small bay leaf

1 tablespoon fish sauce

Salt

1 pound striped bass fillets

Mesclun greens for 4 servings

Basil Vinaigrette

Lemon and tomato wedges for garnish

Combine vinegar, ginger, garlic, peppercorns, bay leaf and fish sauce in saucepan. Season to taste with salt. Bring to boil 5 minutes. Add fish and remove from heat. Let stand 10 minutes, covered.

Place fish on hot, well-oiled grill and cook 5 to 7 minutes on both sides, or until fish flakes easily with fork, brushing with cooked marinade. Cut in chunks. Serve over mesclun tossed with Basil Vinaigrette. Garnish with lemon wedges and tomatoes. Makes 4 servings.

Basil Vinaigrette

1/4 cup minced fresh basil

1 teaspoon minced garlic

1/4 cup seasoned vinegar

1/3 cup olive oil

Salt, pepper

Combine basil, garlic, vinegar, olive oil and salt and pepper to taste. Stir well. Makes about 3/4 cup.