KONA, HI--(Marketwire - June 22, 2010) - Kevin Davis, owner and chef at the new Blueacre Seafood Restaurant in Seattle, is excited to bring Kona Blue Water Farms' open ocean-grown, Hawaiian yellowtail, Kona Kampachi®, back to his menu. The sustainably-raised sashimi-grade fish will again be available starting with a first harvest July 18.
Davis' unique restaurant, Blueacre Seafood, opened in March and focuses on American seafood --preparing wild species that swim within the international water line of the US as well as sustainably farmed fish. "Kona Kampachi is the ultimate fish; a perfect example of a responsibly raised farmed fish. It's also a farmed salt water fish and the company behind it, Kona Blue, makes sure their efforts have little or no impact on the ocean," Davis said. "Blueacre Seafood represents the modern seafood restaurant. We are weaving the sustainability mantra into everything we do. We are so excited to bring Kona Kampachi to our diners -- we love to prepare it and the diners love to eat it."
Davis had previously served Kona Kampachi to customers when he was Head Chef of Oceanaire Restaurant in Seattle. Blueacre Seafood is now operating at the same location where Oceanaire once stood.
Sustainability and efficient use of marine resources, as well as all-important flavor and texture, are critical issues for many leading seafood chefs. Other top chefs who look forward to adding Kona Kampachi to their menus include Chris Leahy at BLT Prime in New York, Jacob Anaya at Pahu i'a Restaurant at the Four Seasons Resort, Hualalai, and renowned Iron Chef Masaharu Morimoto who is opening a new restaurant, Morimoto Waikiki, in Honolulu in late summer.
Kona Kampachi has been absent from restaurant menus since late last year while the company reconfigured its offshore pens. By mid-July the newly-stocked fish will reach the minimum four-pound weight, and regular harvesting resumes. Kona Blue Water Farms (www.kona-blue.com) was the first integrated marine fish hatchery and open ocean mariculture operation in the US. The Kona Kampachi are grown in offshore pens one-half mile off the coast of Kona in waters over 200 feet deep, in the open ocean where brisk currents swirl through the pens and regular testing shows no measurable impact on water quality around the fish farm.
"We are continually striving to soften our footprint on the ocean while we nurture these fish -- the most delicious and fresh fish on the market," said Neil Anthony Sims, co-founder of Kona Blue. "The Kona Kampachi brand stands for sustainability, healthfulness and great taste. These are the qualities that leading chefs appreciate in this great fish. As we get back on the market, we will be vigorously defending our brand. Discerning chefs know and appreciate the sweet delicate flavor and other attributes of this fabulous fish, and are keen to be serving Kona Kampachi again."
Kona Blue is committed to reducing the human footprint on the seas by using marine resources efficiently. Offshore mariculture is up to 60 times more efficient in its use of forage fish (such as anchovies and menhaden) than wild-caught salmon and tuna. Kona Blue Water Farms expects to increase its harvest to 25,000 pounds of fish per week by the end of the year. Because fish is harvested only to fill orders, it is consistently the freshest fish on the menu.
About Kona Blue Water Farms
Kona Blue Water Farms -- the first sustainable, integrated marine fish hatchery and open ocean mariculture operation in the United States -- breeds Kona Kampachi, a premium, versatile Hawaiian yellowtail endorsed by top chefs nationwide. Based in Kona, Hawaii, Kona Blue raises the fish in an on-shore hatchery, transferring fingerlings to submersible, offshore net-pens deep in the Pacific Ocean to grow to harvest size of more than four pounds. The sashimi-grade fish have no detectable amounts of mercury and are grown with no additives, genetic engineering or hormones.
Kona Kampachi softens our impact on the oceans: sustainable mariculture is around 60 times more efficient than targeting wild salmon, tuna or other fish at the top of the wild food chain. Since 2005, the company has produced over 2.7 million pounds of Kona Kampachi (http://www.kona-blue.com/ourfish.php), continually striving to exemplify responsible open ocean mariculture with no significant environmental impacts and delivering delicious, sustainable, healthful seafood. For more information, visit www.kona-blue.com and the Kona Blue Facebook page.
Contact Information:
Company Contact:
Neil Anthony Sims
Kona Blue Water Farms
808-331-1188 x201
Press Contact:
Erica Zeidenberg
Hot Tomato Marketing
925-631-0553