SavingSeaFood - Chefs' group backs stand vs. eco-labels on seafood

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Chefs' group backs stand vs. eco-labels on seafood

In a public letter, the Chefs Collaborative has agreed with Legal Sea Foods President Roger Berkowitz that restaurateurs should do their own research rather than let so-called "eco-labelers" dictate what seafood to serve and what to shun.

"Thank you for sparking a dialogue regarding possible exceptions to 'blacklisted' seafood," the 18-year-old organization said in the posting on its website. "This is an issue that Chefs Collaborative has been working on for years.

"Back in 2007, we published a communiqué© for our members, titled 'Lists vs. Local: The Complexities of Sourcing Sustainable Seafood.' The document introduced the concept that lists can be a good starting point, but chefs need to take a broader and deeper approach, by talking with each other as well as with conservationists, fishermen, and purveyors."

Berkowitz sparked a new wave of debate with the announcement that he would host a dinner Jan. 24, to be prepared in the Legal Sea Food kitchen in Park Square, Boston, featuring cod cheeks, hake and tiger shrimp — all choices considered to be no-nos by the lead seafood eco-labeling organizations, notably Monterey Bay Aquarium's Seafood Watch.

Read the complete story from The Gloucester Times.

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