Relais & Chateaux Chefs Agree To Protect Vulnerable Fish Stocks
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Relais & Chateaux Chefs Agree To Protect Vulnerable Fish Stocks
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Category: Worldwide
This is a press release selected by our editorial committee and published online for free on 2009-12-22
-- Group's Efforts Help Protect Humanity's Biggest Larder: the Sea --
In response to the devastating levels of excessive fishing to meet growing consumer demand, the members of Relais & Chateaux, an international Association of chefs and hoteliers, have agreed to make changes in how they buy seafood, including removing red tuna and other threatened species from their menus.
According to international experts, by projecting the current rate of overfishing and other industry actions, fish could disappear from our oceans sometime between 2040 and 2050.
Research done by the Seafood Choices Alliance, an international organization working to create a sustainable seafood marketplace, states that U.S. demand for seafood has steadily increased over the past 10 years and is projected to continue to grow. According to the Alliance, 50 percent of seafood in the U.S. and Europe is consumed in restaurants, making eateries excellent conduits to assist in the management of endangered or overfished seafood.
The members of Relais & Chateaux agreed to the following points that were presented at the Association's annual Congress:
1. Members are aware of the problem of dwindling seafood resources.
2. Members recognize the important role they can play in protecting seafood resources as professional purchasers of seafood and leaders in the restaurant industry.
3. Members agree to procure sustainable, sexually mature seafood, using ocean-friendly fishing methods.
4. Members agree to communicate their choices of seafood stock to consumers.
5. Members agree to no longer serve threatened species and to gradually remove them from their menus starting in 2010.
6. Given the urgent situation concerning red tuna (Atlantic and Mediterranean), Relais & Chateaux members agree to no longer serve this species as of January 1, 2010.
Relais & Chateaux is cooperating with the Seafood Choices Alliance in their quest to secure sustainable seafood supplies.
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