Model of a Patagonian toothfish or Chilean sea bass
Posted on 07/19/2007 11:32:44 AM PDT by COUNTrecount
Al Gore, the world's most high profile green campaigner, was at the centre of an embarrassing row yesterday after the serving of a rare fish at his daughter's Beverly Hills wedding.
Model of a Patagonian toothfish or Chilean sea bass Just one week after Live Earth, his global musical spectacular to raise awareness of environmental issues, the former vice-president attended a rehearsal dinner for his daughter's marriage that featured Chilean sea bass. Sarah Gore, 28, a medical student, was married to the Los Angeles businessman Bill Lee at the Beverly Hills Hotel on July 14.
The night before the wedding, People magazine reported, the Gores were at a dinner for 75 at the nearby Crustacean restaurant where a six-course tasting menu included Chilean sea bass - also known as Patagonian toothfish.
The reaction was swift: writing in in the Australian Daily Telegraph, Rebecca Keeble of Humane Society International, a conservation pressure group, complained of the danger to the species from "from illegal, unregulated and unreported fishing activities".
She noted that "more than 50 per cent of toothfish traded is illegally caught, and includes juveniles vital to the ongoing toothfish population". She called on the US government to help crack down on illegal fishing by sanctioning Spain for allowing its nationals to fish illegally for the species in conservation areas.
advertisementAnd in the meantime, she acidly suggested, "Al Gore could choose something else to eat". Her attack on the former vice-president, and his implied hypocrisy, were rapidly picked up by bloggers around the world.
But the fish enjoyed by the Gores were not endangered or illegally caught.
Rather, the restaurant later confirmed, they had come from one of the world's few well-managed, sustainable populations of toothfish, and caught and documented in compliance with Marine Stewardship Council regulations. The Gores' spokesman, Kalee Kreider, admitted that the fish has been on the menu, but said: "The Gores absolutely agree with this humane society and the rest of the environmental community about illegally caught Chilean sea bass.
"The problem is huge. This is unfortunate, we have been in touch with the society today. The really important thing is that people become more aware of this issue."
Model of a Patagonian toothfish or Chilean sea bass
Toothgate?
It’s OK. Gore bought carbon credits...er carp credits!
bassgate
But, I bet it was still not “locally produced” like he advocates in his Live Earth booklet! I bet they were flown in from somewhere.
I swear, you could catch Al Gore red handed with his thing buried to the hilt in a bald eagle and the media would find a way to whitewash it so that it was okay. Meanwhile, if a Republican so much as visits a petting zoo for a photo shoot, he gets maligned.
He’s from Tennessee! What ‘s wrong with good old Mississippi Channel Cat?.....
The fish is far better looking, and has a smaller mouth than most of the Liberal women he’s used to being around.
I wonder what Patagonian toothfish taste like. Chicken?
"Oh, and The Jerk Store called too...
The Mississippi flows along the west edge. Hill folk (East, near WVa) don’t unnerstand the concept of a crick you cain’t toss a rock across
LOL! with tears in my eyes.
Don't tell me they were ALL OUT of him! There should be enough jerk in him to go around for EVERYONE!
At what latitude does “creek” become “crick”?........I was raised in northern Mississippi not far from Tennessee and we said “creek”.........
LOL!
A good photoshopper could put algore’s head on that hughmanatee and replace algore in the first photo.
What the hell does he think this is: a "carbon offset" parallel for this poor species?
The media is covering for Al Gore the Hypocrite!
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