I walked into McDonald’s like I occasionally do with my best friend, stomach growling and mouth already watering from the thought of sinking my teeth deep into that delectable filet-o-fish sandwich. Rich melted cheese, sharp tartar sauce all smothering a moist, neatly-cut piece of fish. After ordering and waiting an agonizing four minutes for my food, I sat down, removed the sandwich from the box, then all of a sudden……gasp! It was as if I had just seen a ghost.
Photo Courtesy of Kevin O'Mara
But what I had seen was no ghost. It had huge, bulging eyes, dark scaly skin, and a long, slimy tail. It was, my friends, the hoki: a highly unattractive creature from the pitch-black depths of the Pacific in New Zealand.
You see, I had read an article on the New York Times website by William J. Broad entitled “From Deep Pacific, Ugly and Tasty, With a Catch,” which finally gave a name and, ahem, a face to the mystery fish used in restaurants like McDonald’s, Long John Silver’s, and Denny’s. And the picture was not a pretty one.
Not just of the fish itself, mind you, but of the careless overfishing of this poor creature. Once hailed as a perfect example of oceanic sustainability as its reproduction rates were high and its lifespan short, it is now becoming quite obvious with such signs as decreases in hoki offspring, that this species is being overfished, and no one wants to own up to it. Declaring that it is being overfished could mean a lot of money lost for the New Zealand fisheries that make good money selling about 100,000 to 275,000 tons of hoki per year.
Although some conservation and wildlife groups have called for awareness about this issue and ways to end this, they have been mostly unsuccessful as the hoki fishery has been recertified as “sustainable and well-managed.” There are claims that something is being done to stop this, but the truth will be in the numbers. Already so many species of fish have faced extinction at the fate of human hands, and the fish that I saw staring up at me from my sandwich was clearly my conscience being fully aware that I am a part of this greedy practice.
The Hoki of New Zealand
So please, let’s all try to eat a little less of these sandwiches. Think of them as a reward for achieving something good once in a while. These living things are being killed off rapidly in order to satisfy people like me who demand high quantities of it every day. This begs the question: how much do you know about the food that you put in your mouth?
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I have to admit that I had no idea that the fish I was eating at McDonalds was the Hoki, but after seeing this I will surely think twice before ever ordering one again, let alone eating one. It is unfortunate that the Hoki is being overfished for several reasons, not only do we have the potential of adding them to the list of 96 fish we have single-handedly driven to extinction, but with all of the demand and business for the New Zealand fisheries, halting their consumption would have a tragic effect on their economy. It’s like we have dug ourselves and the Hoki into a deep hole where only one has a hope to get out. And what will happen if the Hoki is overfished to extinction? Not only will we responsible for another extinction, but New Zealand will be faced with the same economic problem! Thanks for bringing this to the forefront Marilyne.
Hey Maryline, I read that NYT article when it came out and was pretty surprised myself. As Mike pointed out, we are in a tough situation…the Hoki is a large part of New Zealands fishing industry, but the Hoki is now overfished… Just goes to show there is no perfect scenario or sustainable fish… Sustainability only comes from sustainable practices.
Hey this is pretty interesting. I didn’t even know that! Good job Maryline.
I didn’t know there was high demand for filet o fish sandwich. Jeese..
It has really become one of McDonald’s best selling now. And I’m proud to say its been a really long time since I had one. That being said, if I get an A on my micro test, I think I’ll treat myself.
Maryline the information you prodive in your blog was very informing. It made me think really hard about what I eat. Since I know where the filet-o-fish called the hoki comes from and how it is being overfished , I vow to do my part and not eat it. I just know that it is going to be easy since i don’t have the money.
I had no clue this is going on. I am doing a project on overfishing and this helped alot. Thank you!