Ems - Launch Of Seafood Choices Alliance

A seafood tasting and website demonstration at New York's Fairway market today kicked off the official start of the Seafood Choices Alliance, a clearinghouse of information for food professionals on issues of sustainable seafood.

Chefs, retailers and other seafood purveyors heard some of the nation's top chefs discuss why they became part of Seafood Choices and sampled delicacies made from sustainably caught fish. Participants at the kick-off reception Thursday also got a chance to view the new SeafoodChoices.com and its SeaSense database, which provides details about the benefits and drawbacks of consuming some of the most popular seafood species and highlights the work of other conservation groups working to promote these issues.

The goal of Seafood Choices is to help busy seafood professionals keep up with the volume of information out there on ocean fisheries so they can make informed choices. With many seafood species - including some of the most popular offerings in stores and restaurants - at risk from overfishing, habitat destruction and other problems, many are caught between concern for the environment and consumer demand.

Fairway market, a leading New York specialty foods store launching its own sustainable seafood program, was the site of the kick-off event. Jacques Pepin, host of the popular PBS series "Julia and Jacques Cooking at Home" and "Jacques Pepin's Kitchen: Cooking with Claudine," cited the organization's timely formation, given industry's and the public's need for accurate seafood information. Rick Moonen's Oceana restaurant provided canaps made with seafood from healthy populations.

"I love the fact that I work with the last wild product, that the fish I serve still live in the wild. So sustainability issues hit me hard," said Moonen, executive chef and partner of Oceana, an upscale midtown Manhattan restaurant. "I want to know where my seafood is coming from - and my customers want to know. That's why I subscribe to Seafood Choices."

Seafood Choices provides fishermen, wholesalers, distributors, chefs, caterers, restaurateurs and grocers with a one-stop place for the latest seafood information. Created by SeaWeb, a nonprofit ocean communications organization dedicated to raising awareness of the living ocean, Seafood Choices is open to anyone who is involved with seafood and is concerned about meeting both an economic and an environmental bottom line. Subscribers gain access to consumer research, the latest in current market trends and other information needed to make informed decisions about the seafood they serve.

"Seafood Choices Alliance is bringing ocean conservation to the table; not just the restaurant table, or the retailer's table, but to your table at home, as well as mine," said Vikki Spruill, executive director of SeaWeb. "People from all disciplines who are interested in seafood -- not just chefs and media, but fishers, distributors, wholesalers and educators -- will gather at this table to share information and experiences about seafood, so that we may learn from one another. We see the Seafood Choices Alliance as the place to exchange this information and more, as a way to create new relationships so that together, we can restore the natural luster and abundance to our oceans."

According to the U.S. government, nearly 100 fish populations are considered overfished. While better management and stronger regulations are a critical step, consumers can make a difference by making better choices about what they eat and serve their families. Caught in the middle are chefs, retailers and the rest of the seafood industry who want to meet consumer demand for information while continuing to offer dishes seafood lovers enjoy.

Several conservation organizations are currently involved in seafood-related programs aimed at consumers -