500 Chefs Protest Seafood Fraud

Thomas Keller, Daniel Boulud and Mario Batali are among 500 chefs and restauranteurs who have signed a petition to prevent seafood fraud in the United States.

The petition - which was also signed by other top chefs like Eric Ripert, Rick Bayless and Jacques Pépin -  was organized by Oceana, a conservation advocacy group. The chefs are asking the U.S. government to establish "robust traceability standards" aimed at preventing fraud and keep illegal fish out of the country.

According to the petition, which you is available online,  up to 70 percent of fish is often mislabeled for popular varieties like wild salmon, red snapper and Atlantic Cod. "Yet as more seafood is imported into the Unites States, our fish follows an increasingly complex path from fishing vessel to plate, increasing the risk of fraud each step of the way and making it more difficult for us to make eco-friendly choices."

Fish sustainability has become increasingly important to chefs around the world. Overfishing has led to depleted fish stocks in areas that were once teeming with fish. Earlier this year, news spread that the Mediterranean is running out of fish, with tuna being among the fish with the greatest risk of extinction.

Via The Day