Joining Gulf of Mexico fishermen and distributors who have descended on Washington, D.C., the past few weeks to rally for various causes, some of the country’s most famous chefs sent a letter to legislators on Wednesday expressing their support of catch share fisheries management policies. Catch shares, wherein commercial fishermen are given a total amount of allowable catch, are used to help eliminate overfishing and restore fish stocks.
“In the United States, catch share systems have a strong track record in Alaska, the Gulf of Mexico, on the West Coast and are beginning to deliver good results for many of the iconic groundfish species in New England,” the chefs’ letter to Congress stated. “In fact, many seafood items that we rely on as restaurant professionals – like Alaskan halibut, sablefish, and Gulf of Mexico red snapper – come from successful catch share programs that are among the most sustainably managed fisheries in the world.”
The group of chefs was led by celebrity chef Rick Moonen. Local chefs included Susan Spicer of Bayona, and Rick Tramonto, who along with Chef John Folse runs Restaurant R’evolution at the Royal Sonesta Hotel.
Other famous national chefs that singed the letter included David Chang, Daniel Boulud, Eric Ripert, Hubert Keller, Jonathan Waxman, Mario Batali and Rick Bayless.
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