Profiles In Fishing

What does the word "sustainable" mean to you?

Sustainable means that we use our natural resources in such a way that those resources will still be available for future generations. By our mere presence on the earth, our population has an impact on the environment. As responsible stewards of the earth I believe we have an obligation to minimize that impact. When applied to fisheries, sustainable means fish for the future. We have to be careful about how many fish we take out of the ocean and how we impact oceanic habitats, or we won't have fish to eat in the future. We'll never be able to stop impacting the oceans completely, but we can lessen our impact and still derive the same benefits.

What is your role in the sustainable management of U.S. Fisheries?

I teach chefs about sustainable seafood, specifically about how some fisheries are managed better than others and why this makes some seafood products more sustainable than others. The U.S. has some of the best managed fisheries in the world and I make sure the chefs understand why it is so important to know where the seafood comes from, and encourage them to buy domestic seafood when possible. One of the best ways for the chefs to get high quality, domestic, sustainable seafood is to introduce them to local fishermen and foster direct marketing connections. I also participate in fishery management as a stakeholder representing seafood consumers and involve chefs in the fishery management process.

Why is your role so important?

Chefs have a big influence on seafood trends in the U.S. so it's very important that these trendsetters are serving sustainable seafood and talking about it with their customers. Very few chefs have the time, inclination, or background knowledge to research sustainable seafood for themselves, so I make it easy for them by doing all the legwork then advising them on their best choices. I also help raise awareness on why domestic seafood often costs more than imported seafood, but also why it is a much more sustainable choice. U.S. fishermen follow some of the strictest conservation regulations in the world and it’s very important that we help them do the right thing by buying their products.