Should Chefs Serve Chilean Sea Bass?
The discussion around the sustainability of Chilean Sea Bass is heated and contentious. The major players involved in the discussion include chefs, fishermen, environmentalists, seafood wholesalers, and the general public. Of course each group has their own perspective on the topic, as well as their own definition of what sustainable Chilean Sea Bass actually means. Sustainable Seafood Definitions The Monterey Bay Aquarium’s Seafood Watch Program is probably the best known resource for defining sustainable seafood. They list Chilean Sea Bass as “avoid” for several reasons. First, the species has been over fished and because of the slow-growing nature of the fish it takes longer than other commercial species to propagate itself. Secondly, it is on the “avoid list” because of the two most common fishing techniques which are often used. Unmodified bottom longlines result in the unintended death of endangered albatross and other seabirds. And bottom trawling damages the seafloor habitat. I
