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A kinder, gentler stance on seafood
Cox News Service ^ | May 21,2006 | Elizabeth Lee

Posted on 05/24/2006 8:45:08 AM PDT by ThirteenFoxtrot

A kinder, gentler stance on seafood By ELIZABETH LEE Cox News Service Sunday, May 21, 2006 ATLANTA — Animal welfare concerns usually evoke images of overfed ducks and farm animals crammed into cages.

Add to that a tray of live soft shell crabs, which evoke images of big gray spiders.

The buglike creatures are at the center of the latest controversy over how seafood and meat are being treated on their way to the table. From veal to foie gras, many delicacies with potential ethical issues are disappearing from some restaurants and supermarkets.

Live seafood is next. Last week, Whole Foods Market stopped selling live soft shell crabs at the height of the season for the fully edible spring favorite. The Texas-based natural foods chain is reviewing its position on lobster and expects a decision by June 15. Also up for scrutiny: live blue crabs, crawfish and mollusks such as oysters, as well as frozen lobster tails.

Depending on the species, live seafood — especially soft-shell crabs prized because no peeling or cracking is required — is available in only a few stores. Live lobster is easier to come by.

Concerns about how animals are treated before they become delicacies are on the rise. Animal rights activists have started demanding proof that livestock is raised humanely and have influenced regulations for organic meat.

Environmental concerns have led to turtle extruder devices in shrimp nets and dolphin-safe tuna labels. Google and AOL recently announced they were switching to cage-free eggs in their company cafeterias. The Chicago City Council voted in April to ban the sale of foie gras, the swollen livers of force-fed geese or ducks.

Still, compassion for crustaceans, with nervous systems that the lobster industry compares to those of insects, has been slower to pick up mainstream support.

"Do I have the same simpatico for a crab as I would if there were a puppy in my office? Well, no. There's a slight difference there," said Anne Quatrano, executive chef and owner of Bacchanalia, Floataway Cafe and Star Provisions, which sells live soft shells.

It's not the growing tension over tossing live lobsters into boiling water that has Whole Foods worried.

Instead, the company wants to make sure the little critters are handled humanely after they're caught, says Cheryl Galway, the spokeswoman for the natural foods chain, which has seven metro Atlanta stores including three Harry's Farmers Markets.

Christina Tober, 20, of Atlanta doesn't eat seafood, but says she doesn't see how a store can decide not to sell live crabs but continue selling frozen ones.

"They're going to die anyway, so I don't see how this can be an issue of ethics [for consumers or sellers]," she said while shopping at the Whole Foods on Ponce de Leon Avenue in Atlanta.

Soft shell crabs are shipped and stored on ice or metal trays, often covered with seaweed and damp newspaper to keep them moist.

They are forced to live up to a week out of water. Some die during shipping.

The time in transit and discomfort of the trays concern Whole Foods, Galway says.

After a customer selects live soft shells, seafood counter workers most often kill and clean them and advise customers to cook the perishable crab within a few hours. Whole Foods still sells frozen soft shells, which are killed soon after they molt, or shed their shells.

But soft shell lovers say freezing makes meat mushy. Soft shells, lobster and other crustaceans taste best if kept alive until the bitter end.

At Star Provisions, where live soft shells are a popular item even at $4.75 per crab, no one is even considering discontinuing them. Quatrano says her belief in treating animals humanely is reflected in what the restaurants sell and in the stray dogs and chicks she's adopted at her Cartersville farm. Her restaurants don't serve Chilean sea bass, swordfish or farm-raised salmon because of environmental and sustainability concerns.

The Humane Society of the United States, which two years ago started a farm animal welfare campaign, is focusing on furry and feathered creatures.

"Animals should not be boiled alive," said Paul Shapiro, director of the group's Factory Farming Campaign. "At the same time, it's important to recognize that animals who are raised on factory farms, like most egg-laying hens or veal calves or ducks used for foie gras, suffer from a lifetime of torment."

Elizabeth Lee writes for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Journal-Constitution writer Saeed Ahmed contributed to this article.


TOPICS: Culture/Society
KEYWORDS: bluecrabs; crustaceans; lobstersarebugs; softshellcrabs
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1 posted on 05/24/2006 8:45:09 AM PDT by ThirteenFoxtrot
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To: ThirteenFoxtrot

2 posted on 05/24/2006 8:52:18 AM PDT by billorites (freepo ergo sum)
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To: billorites
"Soft shell crabs are shipped and stored on ice or metal trays, often covered with seaweed and damp newspaper to keep them moist.

They are forced to live up to a week out of water. Some die during shipping.

The time in transit and discomfort of the trays concern Whole Foods, Galway says."


The discomfort of the trays. Give me a break
3 posted on 05/24/2006 8:57:24 AM PDT by ThirteenFoxtrot
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To: ThirteenFoxtrot
I'll be sure to tell my brother, the Maine lobsterman, to be kinder and gentler to the bugs. You all can pay him a $.50 per pound premium for the privilege of chowing down on bugs that have been treated with respect and dignity.

Matinicus Island Lobsters

Handled with loving kindness by fishermen who care

{snicker}

4 posted on 05/24/2006 9:00:24 AM PDT by Ol' Sox
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To: ThirteenFoxtrot
PETA's Bizzaro World:

Animals Eating Animals: The beautiful, incredible "Circle of Life." It's Nature, and Nature is holy and beautiful, and at least IT exists, which God certainly doesn't, unless we can use the mention of Christ to force you into adopting PETA's dogma by portraying Christ as a Vegetarian, even if the only available documentation explicitly says he wasn't, which we won't admit.

People Eating Animals: An unholy (although we don't recognize formally any "holy") plot by white, rich, evil Republicans to corrupt Nature by eating meat, which is "sinful" (see above) because animals are loving, breathing, doe-eyed creatures capable of love, honor, and probably smarter than we are, even the fish, and besides, every square acre of farmland that produces meat could be used to produce a zillion times more whole wheat to make our tasteless, soggy meat substitutes, which we would force you to eat if only the laws were fair and allowed us to, because you are too stupid to be making your own choices without really smart people like Al Gore and PETA telling you what to do. And stuff.

5 posted on 05/24/2006 9:00:45 AM PDT by 50sDad (ST3d: Real Star Trek 3d Chess: http://my.ohio.voyager.net/~abartmes/tactical.htm)
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To: ThirteenFoxtrot
I had Norwegian king crab legs for dinner Monday night. Not once did I think about the trauma they went through when their legs were ripped from their bodies. I was to busy dipping them in warm butter
6 posted on 05/24/2006 9:05:22 AM PDT by ThirteenFoxtrot
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To: ThirteenFoxtrot
First, they came for the soft shell crabs and I did not speak up;
---- because I was not a soft shell crab.
Then they came for the Cherrystone clams and I did not speak up;
----- for I was not a Cherrystone clam.

7 posted on 05/24/2006 9:08:05 AM PDT by billorites (freepo ergo sum)
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To: ThirteenFoxtrot
"At the same time, it's important to recognize that animals who are raised on factory farms, like most egg-laying hens or veal calves or ducks used for foie gras, suffer from a lifetime of torment."

Hey, Paul...They're animals. Shut up and hand me the catsup.

I don't eat veal or foie gras, not really because of the ethical issue, but because they are stupid foods for rich people who can afford to throw away money on stupid foods.

All the teeth at the front of your mouth are designed (by God or by Nature, your choice in this issue) for ripping flesh. That seems to take care of it for me. Animal flesh gave my distant ancesters the body mass that they needed to kick the ass of every damn predator on the food chain, and I am not going to betray that brave heritage by going off and chewing grass.

My people won. Fire up the BBQ, because buddy, if a cow could eat you and it had the brains, claws or thumbs that made it win the battle, you'd be in the broiler at 350 degrees. Snap out of it!

Hummm...sounds like steak would be nice for lunch!

8 posted on 05/24/2006 9:09:09 AM PDT by 50sDad (ST3d: Real Star Trek 3d Chess: http://my.ohio.voyager.net/~abartmes/tactical.htm)
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To: ThirteenFoxtrot

PETA - Repubican style:

People
Eating
Tasty
Animals.

Mmmmmmmmm Soft Shell Crab.........
Mmmmmmmmmmmmmm

Deep fried Soft Shell Crab Sandwich...........

Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm


9 posted on 05/24/2006 9:09:48 AM PDT by roaddog727 (eludium PU36 explosive space modulator)
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To: billorites

Demand goes down = More crabs for us!


10 posted on 05/24/2006 9:11:25 AM PDT by ThirteenFoxtrot
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To: ThirteenFoxtrot

Now I'm getting hungry. I could go for a bucket of "steamers" and pitcher of beer right about now...


11 posted on 05/24/2006 9:13:20 AM PDT by frogjerk (LIBERALISM: The perpetual insulting of common sense.)
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To: ThirteenFoxtrot

Every time I see a story like this, I'm reminded of Eddie Murphy and "Larry the Lobster". Larry sure looked tasty after some bunnyhugger complained about the original skit.


12 posted on 05/24/2006 9:16:25 AM PDT by Redcloak (Speak softly and wear a loud shirt.)
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To: ThirteenFoxtrot
Warm butter is like a healing, soothing bath for those poor traumatized crab legs.

So is crab boil. Oh yeah, and so is Old Bay.

13 posted on 05/24/2006 9:18:31 AM PDT by Ol' Sox
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To: roaddog727

This article has made me to jones for some lobster.


14 posted on 05/24/2006 9:18:50 AM PDT by Hydroshock
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To: Hydroshock

Lobstah Roll with lots uh buttah.....

Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

Lobster bisque.......

Mmmmmmmmmmmmmm

Chilled whole loberster with tarragon-garlic sauce...............

Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm


15 posted on 05/24/2006 9:30:36 AM PDT by roaddog727 (eludium PU36 explosive space modulator)
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To: Ol' Sox
Beer batter dipped, pan-fried soft shells served on a toasted Kaiser roll. MMMmmmm good
16 posted on 05/24/2006 9:31:03 AM PDT by ThirteenFoxtrot
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To: roaddog727

Thro 3 live ones in a pot of boiling water. Wait 15 minutes, get the garlic butter.


17 posted on 05/24/2006 9:43:54 AM PDT by Hydroshock
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To: ThirteenFoxtrot

compassion for crustaceans?

Just when you have thought that you have heard it all!


18 posted on 05/24/2006 9:47:17 AM PDT by GeorgefromGeorgia
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To: Hydroshock

Yeah,

And not those dinky 1&1/4 pounders. I'm thinking 4-5 pounders. Nice and big, but not getting too tough.

The last time I had a 5 pounder (actually cooked up two 5 pounders) was for our 5th wedding aniversary, back when they were kinda cheap - 3.99/pound.


19 posted on 05/24/2006 9:50:09 AM PDT by roaddog727 (eludium PU36 explosive space modulator)
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To: ThirteenFoxtrot

I keep kosher, and so I do not eat lobster, crabs, clams or squid, but right now I feel like going out and boiling a live lobster.

But that would be wasteful, unless some brave person will volunteer to eat it.


20 posted on 05/24/2006 9:55:42 AM PDT by Alouette (Psalms of the Day: 119:97-176)
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