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MSC Helps Americans Cook Seafood that’s Good for People and the Planet with NEW Cookbook Featuring Recipes from Notable Chefs

February 8, 2021 — The following was released by the Marine Stewardship Council:

The Marine Stewardship Council (MSC), a nonprofit whose sole mission is to end overfishing, today introduced a new resource designed to help Americans choose seafood that’s good for them, the ocean and the planet. The Healthy Oceans Too Cookbook, a digital compilation of sustainable seafood recipes from celebrity chefs and influencers, is now available in celebration of February Heart Health Month and March Nutrition Month. Both months serve to remind Americans of health-focused resolutions set for the new year. While many consumers have the best intentions for improved health and sustainability practices as they head into the new year, 43% of Americans typically abandon their goals by mid-February[1].

This drop off comes from unrealistic resolutions, feeling overwhelmed, lack of immediate results, and not being ready for change. The MSC cookbook offers a helpful way to stay on track with healthy recipes made with planet-friendly seafood. The cookbook is available for free on the MSC North America website, and one of its notable contributors is “Top Chef” All Star and the first-ever U.S. MSC Ambassador, Chef Gregory Gourdet.

As MSC Ambassador, Chef Gourdet will promote the important role certified sustainable seafood plays in our kitchens. This includes contributing a recipe to the Healthy Oceans Too Cookbook and leading a cooking demonstration co-hosted by the MSC and the James Beard Foundation (JBF) in March.

“Seafood is one of my favorite ingredients to work with because it’s such a healthy and versatile protein,” said Chef Gourdet. “When selecting your seafood, my top piece of advice is to look for the MSC blue fish label to know you’re choosing seafood that’s not only good for you, but good for the ocean, too. I’m honored to partner with the MSC to keep our oceans full of life. I look forward to demystifying seafood preparation and giving home chefs the inspiration and confidence they need to enjoy sustainable seafood at home.”

Healthy Oceans Too Cookbook – Choosing Seafood that’s Good for People and the Planet

For more than 20 years, the MSC has tackled the problem of overfishing through its certification and labeling programs. Americans can find the MSC blue fish label on more than 2,000 products throughout grocery stores nationwide — including the frozen and canned aisles, fresh fish case, and in the supplements and pet sections — indicating to consumers that the fish has been caught in an environmentally sustainable way.

The Healthy Oceans Too Cookbook was developed to encourage Americans to learn about the benefits of the MSC blue fish label while preparing seafood that’s dinner friendly and planet friendly. The cookbook includes recipes from celebrity chefs, like Chef Gourdet, and influencers who are passionate about sharing the joy that comes with preparing healthy, sustainable seafood recipes at home. In addition to detailed descriptions of the seafood species featured, many recipes include videos to further simplify the ease of preparation.

February Heart Health month provides a timely reason to release the Healthy Oceans Too Cookbook. Seafood — rich in Omega-3s, iron, B and D vitamins, and protein — is crucial for heart health as well as brain development, immune support, and strong bones[2]. Additionally, research shows that a pescatarian diet is about as climate-friendly as the average vegetarian diet[3]. Specifically, wild fish has the lowest impact on the planet, scoring higher only than wheat, corn, beans and rice in terms of greenhouse gas emissions per gram of protein, according to the World Resources Institute[4].

“The Healthy Oceans Too Cookbook is a go-to guide for novice to seasoned home chefs who want to cook healthier at home while also supporting the health of the planet,” said Eric Critchlow, U.S. program director at the MSC. “By partnering with chefs and influencers from across the country, we’ve compiled an eclectic recipe collection that offers a variety of recipes and tips to discover. Whether it’s a familiar species like tuna, or a less familiar species like squid, each recipe features MSC certified seafood designed to be healthy for the preparer, the ocean and the planet.”

Cook with Chef Gregory Gourdet – Virtual Event Co-Hosted by the Marine Stewardship Council and James Beard Foundation

To best demonstrate the ease of cooking healthy, sustainable seafood, the MSC has partnered with the James Beard Foundation (JBF) and JBF-nominated Chef Gourdet to host a virtual cooking demonstration on Thursday, March 11 at 6 p.m. ET. U.S. MSC Ambassador Gourdet, owner of restaurant Kann in Portland, Ore., and author of the upcoming “Everyone’s Table” cookbook, is known for his healthful takes on global flavors – often featuring sustainable seafood at the center of the plate.

During the free, live virtual event, attendees will get exclusive tips from Chef Gourdet as he demonstrates how to prepare two recipes, including his Healthy Oceans Too Cookbook contribution. The demonstration will also feature guidance on how best to choose seafood that’s good for you and the ocean, as well as details on how the MSC is working to ensure the wild-caught seafood we love today will be around for generations to come.

“We’re proud to partner with the Marine Stewardship Council on this journey to further our mission of a more sustainable food system and society,” said Izabela Wojcik, Director of House Programming at the James Beard Foundation. “Through this initiative, we hope to not only advocate for the cause, but to educate people on ways to help enhance food policies overall. Eating sustainable from the sea is a lot easier than consumers think, and we hope that the recipes from Chef Gourdet and the Healthy Oceans Too Cookbook will encourage people to choose more better-for-you seafood options.”

Home cooks can learn more and sign up for the March 11 event by visiting the JBF website.

US restaurant industry facing “extinction event”

August 6, 2020 — The economic crush of the coronavirus pandemic is continuing to take a serious toll on U.S. restaurants and bars, and many expect they will have to close permanently unless they receive government funding quickly, according to a new survey.

Just 66 percent of operators of independent bars and restaurants across the United States recently surveyed by the James Beard Foundation and the Independent Restaurant Coalition had confidence they could stay operational through October without government help

Read the full story at Seafood Source

US restaurants, distributors press for government funding relief

April 21, 2020 — Restaurants and foodservice distributors continue to push the U.S. government for funding relief to help their businesses survive in the throes of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The restaurant industry is expected to realize losses of more than USD 240 billion (EUR 221 billion) nationwide by the end of the year, after losing USD 30 billion (EUR 28 billion) in March and USD 50 billion (EUR 46 billion) in April, the National Restaurant Association said in a press release.

Read the full story at Seafood Source

Despite Trump’s plan, US restaurants struggle to remain open

April 20, 2020 — Despite a Trump administration plan to gradually reopen restaurants in the United States, many foodservice owners and operators don’t believe they will last through the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

In a new survey, nearly 80 percent of independent restaurant owners said that government stimulus assistance provided in the CARES Act will not prevent the nation’s 500,000 independent restaurants from shutting down permanently.

Read the full story at Seafood Source

REELING IN A BETTER CATCH FOR WOMEN IN SEAFOOD

August 21, 2019 — The following was released by the James Beard Foundation:

As the word “sustainability” continues to move to the forefront of our collective consciousness, it is critical to understand the role of women in sustainable solutions.

In 2015, the U.N. produced the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) intended to address global issues of “poverty, inequality, climate, environmental degradation, prosperity, and peace and justice,” and have stated that the realization of these goals is dependent on the achievement ofGoal 5: Gender Equality. This highlights the importance of initiatives like the James Beard Foundation’s Women’s Leadership programs presented by Audi, which seek to help empower women in the culinary industry.

The Beard Foundation also aims to support women involved in the sourcing of ingredients for chefs through its Smart Catch program, which helps educate chefs on how to make better seafood choices.

Read the full release here

New Launch: Sustainable Seafood Platform for Businesses

June 16, 2017 — The following was released by FishChoice, Inc:

FishChoice.com, one of the largest sustainable seafood platforms designed for businesses, has launched its new My FishChoice Sustainable Seafood Platform. The new platform allows registered members the ability track content from the website in personalized dashboards with the key feature being a new seafood sustainability assessment tool enabling businesses to better address sustainable seafood on their own.

“As part of our Smart Catch pilot program, we are using this tool to help chefs better understand the fish and seafood they are serving,” says Katherine Miller, Senior Director, Food Policy Advocacy for the James Beard Foundation. “This new tool manages and updates the sustainable seafood information for chefs and makes it easy for them to get additional information and make changes to their menus. Using this tool, chefs are empowered to make a greater positive impact on our seafood supply.”

The new assessment tool is the key feature of the new My FishChoice Sustainable Seafood platform that is now available at no-charge for interested businesses. The sustainability assessment’s online dashboard provides businesses with an up-to-date item-by-item sustainability analysis of their seafood products, several charts that show total and segmented sustainability details, and tracks changes in sustainability over time. According to Justin Boevers, Director of Operations at FishChoice, “Sustainable seafood information is becoming more complex and changing more frequently. Last year alone, we saw over 300 updates on sustainable seafood assessments. We want to increase the ability for businesses to address seafood sustainability on their own, and our new platform is a big step in that direction.”

Additional features of the My FishChoice Sustainable Seafood Platform include ‘My Suppliers,’ ‘My Products,’ and ‘My Sources’ dashboards that pull content from FishChoice.com’s 500+ Supplier Members, 4,400+ product listings, and 2,500+ sources of sustainable seafood assessments respectively. Future plans for the My FishChoice Sustainable Seafood Platform include business guidance on implementing sustainable seafood, development of sustainable seafood transparency reports, and the inclusion of opportunities to support seafood improvement projects and programs.   

About FishChoice

FishChoice, Inc. (FCI) is a registered 501(c)(3) founded in 2008 that is dedicated to helping businesses advance their seafood sustainability efforts on their own. FishChoice creates tools and provides resources that make it easier for businesses to buy and sell sustainable seafood. By collaborating with both the leading sustainable seafood programs and leaders in the seafood industry, FishChoice advances sustainability in the global seafood industry. For more information please visit http://www.fishchoice.com. 

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