Northshore Magazine

Northshore March 2019

Northshore magazine showcases the best that the North Shore of Boston, MA has to offer.

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NORTHSHOREMAG.COM 50 MARCH 2019 Jeremy Sewall is a big fan of aquaculture. After all, he is chef/owner at Row 34 and Island Creek Oyster Bar—restaurants that launched the cult of sustainably grown, care- fully harvested oysters. He also has a pretty deep understanding of what life as a fisherman is like. He grew up in a fishing family, and his cousin supplies all the lobster for the Island Creek and Row 34 locations, which currently stretch from Boston to Portsmouth. "Aquaculture is very important in a couple ways: We need to feed the planet, and we harvest too many wild species," Sewall says. "Responsible aquaculture can produce excel- lent protein that is far less harmful to the environment than more traditional farming of animals." So when a picture of glistening steelhead trout grown just three miles from the Row 34 Portsmouth location turned up on his Instagram feed, he had to have it, and asked his buyer to track it down. "I do that kind of thing all the time," Sewall says with a laugh. A short time later, he had the last few fish from that season in his kitchen. "The quality and flavor were amazing," Sewall recalls. Shortly thereafter, a partnership was born with the University of New Hampshire's Sea Grant program, which had grown the fish. Sea Grant, an organization tasked with balancing conservation of coastal and marine resources with economic needs, is exploring more sustainable forms of fish farming using an experimental pen filled with steelhead trout off the coast of New Castle, New Hampshire. Ringed with curtains of mussels and seaweed to filter the water, the pen is a better environ- mental choice than conventional fish farms. "It's a really unique model—a restaurant paired with a university," says Michael Cham- bers, a research scientist with the program. "They want high-quality protein, and we want to do research." The boost from Sewall's team has enabled the program to grow. Now the fish are flying out the door—available in season (December through February or March) at Sewall's restaurants, as well as at a few local fish markets and in a delicious Row 34 Smoked Steelhead Trout Pâté made in partnership with Boston Smoked Fish Co. Meanwhile, Sea Grant is planning to teach fishermen how to launch their own Mary McDonald is the owner of Tinkerhaus. The space has a variety of tools to create works of art such as sewing machines and 3-D printers. Sewell explores sustainable fish farming off the coast of New Castle, New Hampshire. Sewall works in conjunction with Sea Grant, an organization that helps balance marine resources with economic needs. Below, the farm-raised catch. L I V E + P L AY

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