Top Miami Chefs Announce They're Taking Chilean Sea Bass Off Menus; Chefs Join National Campaign to Save Fish from Extinction 5/15/2003
From: Cathy Bartch of National Environmental Trust, 305-975-8354; Web: http://www.environet.org or Tom Sadler, 954-442-2169 MIAMI, May 15 -- Chefs and environmentalists came together today to announce their joint effort to save from extinction a delicacy whose overnight trendiness has proven to be its downfall. More than 100 of Fort Lauderdale and Miami's top restaurants took the first step towards saving Chilean Sea Bass by pledging to take the fish off their menus until its population stabilizes. These chefs joined more than 1,000 others across the country who have also committed to "Take a Pass on Chilean Sea Bass." The national campaign by National Environmental Trust and The Antarctica Project now covers the country's major food and dining markets, including San Francisco, Chicago, Philadelphia, Washington D.C., Los Angeles, New York City, Boston and Cape Cod, Seattle, Atlanta, and Las Vegas. Florida restaurants that have signed on to the campaign include (complete list available): -- Bongos Cuban Cafe -- Nikki Beach -- Pearl -- Ortanique -- China Grill -- Les DeuxFontaines -- Miss Saigon Bistro -- Houston's -- Wish "We're taking Chilean Sea Bass off our plates in order to keep it on the planet," said Pedro Maradiaga, Executive Chef of Bongos who will no longer serve the dish to customers at his restaurant. Maradiaga offered several alternative seafood dishes that consumers and cooks can conscientiously enjoy. The restaurant industry accounts for 70 percent of all Chilean Sea Bass sales in the United States. Chilean Sea Bass, known scientifically as Patagonian toothfish but neither from Chile nor a sea bass, burst onto most menus only 10 years ago. But now, according to Destined for Extinction: The Fate of Chilean Sea Bass, the report released by the National Environmental Trust, Chilean Sea Bass suffers from acute over-fishing by "pirate" poachers in the remote waters near Antarctica, and several populations have already gone commercially extinct while others are on the verge of collapse. "Chilean Sea Bass had been a signature dish at Nikki Beach ever since we opened," said Executive Chef Brian Molloy. "This has been an extremely hard decision because the entree is so popular, and we were selling about 60-80 pounds of it each week, but we know that removing it from our menu is simply the right thing to do." Molloy added, "Customers have been asking questions, but once we describe the plight of the fish, they agree that it's not worth sacrificing an entire species for our short-term appetites." "The non-stop pace of illegal fishing virtually guarantees that the entire fishery will collapse in less than five years unless we take immediate action," said Beth Clark, director of the Antarctica Project. "Last year alone -- with regulations in place -- nearly 40,000 tons of Chilean Sea Bass were illegally fished in the waters around Antarctica." Clark described the dramatic decline in the fish's health and the rampant illegal fishing since she began research there 15 years ago. Despite limitations set by the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources, the international governmental body that monitors Chilean Sea Bass, estimates indicate that nearly 80 percent of Chilean Sea Bass sold on the world market are illegally obtained. "The practical reality is that current regulations, including new ones added by the National Marine Fisheries Service this month, are not enough to protect Chilean Sea Bass from extinction," said NET campaign manager, Andrea Kavanagh. "Until we have a reliable system to track legal versus illegal catches of Chilean Sea Bass, we have to make it unprofitable for the pirates to continue their poaching and ask consumers to "Take a Pass on Chilean Sea Bass." Professor Robert Cowen of the Center for Sustainable Fisheries, Rosentiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science at the University of Miami, emphasized the need for sustainable measures. "The importance of sustainable fisheries is to ensure the availability of a resource, not just for current years, but for future generations," said Dr. Cowen. "Current evidence clearly suggests that the Patagonian toothfish is being fished at excess levels that cannot be sustained." "It's a great tasting fish, but it's not worth jeopardizing our seas, especially when we have so many other local sustainable fish here in Florida like yellowtail, snapper, mahi, wahoo and cobia," said Executive Chef Joe Monteiro of A Fish Called Avalon. More information, a consumer pledge and a flash animation and can be accessed at: http://environet.policy.net/marine/csb Speaker Contact Information: Andrea Kavanagh, NET: 202-251-2802 Pedro Maradiaga, Bongos Cuban Cafi: 786-777-2100 Beth Clark, The Antarctica Project: 703-622-7491 Brian Molloy, Executive Chef of Nikki Beach: 305-538-1231 Frank Jeannetti, Executive Chef of Pearl: 305-673-1575 |