Sharks Score Well in Texas Taste Surveys Texas Calls Black Drum

tember. The course of study will last 3 6·month agreement was signed on 1 On the attitude survey, individuals to 5 years. June 1976. were asked their reaction if they ate a Albania has extended its territorial The Scottish Highlands and Develop piece of good-tasting fish and were sea to 15 nautical miles from 12 miles, a ment Board is funding a $750,000 study then told it was shark meat. Out of 199 distance it has claimed since 1970. on the blue whiting stocks of the respondents, 144 , or 72 percent, said Iceland's general strike and the Western Isles to determine if stocks they would be pleasantly surprised and trawlermen's strike ended on 28 can support a fish meal industry. continue eating. Only 23 persons, 11 February. Meanwhile, there was pro Preliminary tests indicate that 500,000 percent, said they would be upset at gress in the fisheries dispute between . metric tons of blue whiting could be being told it was shark meat and stop Iceland and the United Kingdom and a caught each season. eating. "Our data thus far indicate shark is Fishery Notes not all that different in taste from other types of fish and what differences there Sharks Score Well in Texas Taste Surveys are are in the shark's favor. Its meat is Shark meat fared well when com highest, 4.5, while the small treated of firmer texture, and won't flake pared with accepted seafoods like piece was rated lowest at 3.5. apart, 65 percent of the animal is edible redfish, according to a shark meat For the third test, the shark meat and there are no bones in the flesh," taste test and attitude survey con was breaded and fried. Some 80 testers Schwartz noted. More than 20 species ducted for the Texas Parks and were given three bite-sized pieces of of shark are found in the Gulf of Wildlife Department (TP&WD). fish: 1) redfish; 2) sharpnose soaked in Mexico, and Schwartz feels the shark Although all data were not yet water before cooking; 3) untreated supply is available in enough quantity analyzed, tentative results indicated sharpnose. Here, the red fish control to be marketable if people accept it as a that Texans were willing to accept and the soaked piece of shark meat source of food. shark meat as a seafood. scored identically, 5.4. The untreated Texas Calls Black Drum Four tests were conducted, two each sharpnose scored slightly lower, 5.2. in Arlington and the north Dallas In the fourth test, 64 testers were Underutilizecl Species areas. In the first taste test, 128 given identical pieces of blacktip shark. More than a million pounds of black persons were served four pieces of "The only difference was we told them drum are harvested commercially broiled, unseasoned fish. The four fish that one piece of meat was shark, but every year in Texas, but Texas Parks tested were redfish, used as the control we did not say the other piece was also and Wildlife Department fisheries piece, bonnethead, sharpnose and shark," Schwartz said. Surprisingly, biologists still feel it is one of the most blacktip sharks. Respondents were the piece identified as shark received a underutilized food fish on the Texas asked to score the fish on flavor, taste higher rating than the unidentified Gulf coast. Although plentiful, drum and overall satisfaction on a range of piece of fish. Of the 64, only four said are not the most sought-after fish, one to seven. On that basis, redfish they could not distinguish between the ranking far below popular game fish scored an average of 4.3, as did two pieces. There was, in fact, no such as speckled trout, flounder, and sharpnose. Bonnethead scored 3.9, difference, since both portions were redfish. while blacktip averaged a 3.6 grading. blacktip shark. Known under a variety of names, Overall, the testers preferred the taste "These results surprised us some including Texas drum, sea or saltwater of sharpnose, one of the smaller-sized what," Schwartz noted, "but it shows a drum and tambor, this member of the sharks. general indication of positive reaction, croaker family is a commercial fishing "This doesn't mean the lowest score as far as taste is concerned. The public mainstay, but it has never been fully indicates the taste of blacktip was not in our samples thinks shark meat accepted by sport fishermen. It is most liked," said Bill Schwartz of the tastes good, and most of the shark abundant along the lower coastal areas TP&WD. "The scores were used to meat got basically the same scores as and is found in almost all bay and rank one species in relation to the redfish, which is an accepted good inshore Gulf waters. Its name comes others. Even though blacktip scored tasting fish ." from the fish's ability to produce lowest in this test, 23 persons said they Regarding all four tests, Schwartz croaking or drumming sounds with its liked the taste of it the best." indicated much of the data have not air bladder. Small drum of a pound or The second test involved 80 testers, been cross-referenced, nor has an so sometimes are called butterfly and all were served four pieces of analysis been completed. Several drum, while the larger size of 30 blacktip shark. They were given a computer tests remained to be applied pounds or more are known as bull small and a large piece of fish as in the to the data before a definite analysis drum. first test, plus two more pieces, large could be drawn and results defined. The species can thrive as easily in and small, that had been soaked in Still, Schwartz added, "We do know shallow, warm water as it can in water for 1.5 hours. Soaking the shark that women are more averse to eating loo-foot-deep, cold water, and also meat in water prior to cooking is shark than men, and we do know that survive freezing weather better than thought to remove a bitter taste. all species of shark do not taste the any other fish. Their adaptability Results, however, showed the large, same. The differences in taste, how makes the black drum available to a unsoaked piece of meat was rated ever slight, are rea!." greater number of anglers than any 98 Marine Fisheries Review other bay fish. Drum are chunky, high off Door County and historically pro illtimately our objective is to re backed, and vary from jet black to duced significant numbers of lake establish a self-sustaining stock of lake silver or bronze in color. trout. Milwaukee reef, located in trout." Poff added that there have been Drum spawn in either bay or Gulf or midlake Ozaukee and Sheboygan some encouraging signs, including high in connecting passes during late winter counties, historically contributed sig survival rates of fish planted in Lake between February and April by nificant numbers of lake trout to the Michigan and that wounding rates from random release of eggs. By early southern half of Lake Michigan." sea lampreys are relatively low, indi summer, one-half- to one-inch juveniles To date, biologists have failed to find cating some success in controlling the are common in shallow creeks and boat any natural reproduction of lake trout sea lamprey. basins. in Lake Michigan even though lakers Lake trout planted in Lake Michigan The drum grows to good size, have been stocked since 1965. Lake are decendents of lake trout origi reaching 16 inches in three years, and trout originally reproduced in Lake nally from Lake Michigan, which growing an average of two inches a Michigan until the sea lamprey entered should increase their probability of year thereafter. The largest black the lake and completely eliminated the survival and reproduction. Other drum on record weighed 146 pounds; lake trout population. "Reef planting is species being stocked in Lake Michigan the Texas angling record is 78 pounds. part of a continuing effort by the this year include: 1.2 million chinook Most drum caught in Texas weigh Department to reestablish lake trout salmon, 550,000 coho salmon, 23,000 30-40 pounds. populations," said Poff, "with other "tiger" trout, 959,950 rainbow trout, Tagging studies conducted by efforts including a reduction in the 150,050 brown trout, and 27,500 brook P&WD biologists have recorded drum sport fishing daily bag limit to 3 and trout. Plantings in Lake Superior will migrations of 245 miles in one year, but continued closure of the commercial include: 18,000 splake, 585,000 lake distances of 10 miles or less are fishery for lakers. Hopefully these trout, 145,000 rainbow trout, 24,000 average for spawning migrations or steps will provide more spawners. brown trout, and 31,050 brook trout. movements to freshwater flows. Drum are rarely taken on artificial Publication bait since they feed by feel and smell. Cut shrimp, squid, or fish are preferred baits. Since drum feed along the International Navigation Aid Literature Published bottom, the basic fishing technique is The U.S. Coast Guard, in the in aids); 2) Direction Finding; 3) Consol; to put a baited hook on the bottom and terest of promoting marine safety and 4) Decca. The IALA dictionary is wait for the drum to swallow it. through broader understanding of aids published in English, French, German, Schools of drum feed in shallow water to navigation, is distributing infor and Spanish. Its nine chapters are and when drum runs occur, anglers by mational literature concerning Inter being published as separate booklets the score gather at intracoastal canals .

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