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Sustainable Seafood – What Can
(and Should) We Do?
February 2007
TALKING
FISH:
Last month, a group of chefs, purveyors, fisherman,
journalists and conservationists gathered in Jacksonville,
Florida to talk about fish. We talked about how we, in our respective professions, relate to each other in our missions,
our actions and our daily pursuits. Humans have long
seen the oceans as an endless resource from which to
take, but this notion has been challenged recently as
we begin to understand the detrimental impact of our
actions. Within the past few decades we’ve seen
the health of our oceans decline to alarming levels.
Bigger and better-equipped boats have led to the pillaging
of stocks once thought to be inexhaustible. The effects
of fishing methods such as trawling, which rakes the
seabed for ground-dwelling fish, have destroyed marine
habitats, reducing breeding grounds for repopulation.
Furthermore, industrial pollution has contributed to
the degradation of fragile ecosystems, often leaving
them devoid of life. By some accounts, up to a quarter
of marine life that is caught is discarded as waste
due to lack of market value; this bycatch is an irresponsible
and indiscriminate waste of a resource that we are now
beginning to realize is finite. More than 70% of the
world’s fish stocks are fished beyond a level
at which the populations can easily sustain themselves,
and the management policies used to govern our oceans’
harvest have proven to be short-sighted and inadequate.
In a few short decades, we have rapidly altered the
balance of the seas, and in the process have become
the ocean’s most dangerous predator.
QUANTITY AND QUALITY:
Ok, so that’s what’s happened. Now what
are we going to do? Issues pertaining to sustainable
fish have gained a lot of traction both in the media
as well as within the restaurant community, and there
are many fantastic organizations dedicated to solving
the problems we face. Chefs, purveyors, conservationists
and industry folk have begun meeting at sustainable
seafood conferences across the nation. Savvy consumers
are beginning to demand that restaurants pay closer
attention to the products that we offer. Many in the
organic community see responsible fishing as an extension
of our role as stewards of the earth. It is hard for
humans to grasp the issues affecting marine species,
in part because the oceans are so vast, we perceive
them as an inexhaustible resource. The great writer
and scientist Sylvia Earle describes our knowledge of
the oceans as “similar to that of a dolphin jumping
from the water to look around, and assuming that what
is seen is an accurate account of the whole.”
But governments are beginning to tackle this challenge
with new vigor, and chefs can play a huge role in this
charge.
Over 60% of the seafood sold in America is eaten in
restaurants. This number reinforces what we already
know: that restaurants have a huge impact on consumer
taste. So what can we do in our restaurants to help?
We must educate ourselves on the issues – both
the problems and, most importantly, the solutions. There
are many organizations which provide accurate information
on the status of fish stocks that we can use to help
make responsible decisions. There are many fisheries
that can provide delicious and sustainable seafood to
our restaurants – though it takes a little extra
work to find and source from these areas of the industry.
Something as simple as reducing the overall amount of
fish that we serve can help reduce the demand placed
upon our fisheries. It is not news that Americans eat
too much at every meal, especially protein. By offering
smaller portions we can reduce the amount of fish consumed
at each meal to a healthy level. By replacing quantity
with quality it forces us to maximize the craft of cooking
so as to offer a delicious and nourishing product.
THE POWER TO GUIDE POPULAR
TASTE:
Possibly the most important contribution that we can
make is to help guide popular tastes. Many of the fish
that are most in jeopardy are the most popular fish
on fine dining menus (think cod, bluefin tuna, flounder,
and Caspian caviar, to name a few). As a community,
we must decide that it is no longer fashionable to serve
fish that cannot sustain the quantity we demand. It
is irresponsible to think that our customers’
palates supersede issues of environmental sustainability.
We need to establish and celebrate the value of the
unique flavors of fish that can be sourced responsibly.
We should not simply offer substitutes for over-fished
products, but rather remove their presence in fine dining
by creating demand for new and unique experiences. It
is not enough to offer sablefish as a substitute for
Chilean sea bass – the customer is likely to love
the fish, but having been told that sablefish ‘tastes
like CSB’ they will continue to ask for sea bass
when they return next. It is when in the mind of the
customer that sablefish replaces CSB as a preferred
choice that a positive change is achieved. Pocket guides
and websites can tell a guest what not to order, but
only chefs can convince people through taste to actively
participate in responsible eating.
McDONALD’S COMMITS,
WHAT ABOUT YOU?
It is difficult to know exactly what it is that we are
serving when it comes to seafood, in part because there
are many different opinions and sources for information
regarding the products that we use. In my restaurants,
I cross reference a few of these sources to ensure that
I am purchasing a product that supports the ethic of
a sustainable kitchen. I am adamant in my demand that
my purveyors are able to tell me exactly where my fish
comes from and how it has been caught. “And knowing
is half the battle…” isn’t that how
every G.I. Joe cartoon ended? It is by knowing that
I am able to provide my guests with a product that I
am proud of serving. We disseminate seafood pocket guides
from the host stand and with every check. We have set
a standard for ourselves that we now must live up to.
Understanding and promoting sustainable fish is but
one part of chefs’ responsibilities. I truly believe
that it is the fine dining sector that must lead the
way with this mission – and right now we are falling
behind other areas of the food service industry. McDonald’s
has served sustainably harvested fish since 2004. What
about you?
Feel free to contact
me with any questions or comments.
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