Callum Roberts, John Sauven, Antonio Carluccio, Raymond Blanc & Tom Aikens at last night's launch
Sustainable bouillabaisse today or jellyfish burgers tomorrow: a stark message from the celebrity chefs and marine experts at the launch of Greenpeace's latest initiative Seafood See Life at Old Billingsgate Fish Market in the heart of the City of London.
Now, many Greenpeace staffers have secret passions. The nuclear team, for example, are known to tap their feet to some pretty bland music. But for me, it's food. And not just any old food, but the best food; served in world-class restaurants. Clearly it is a passion I can only enjoy sparingly (it is an eye-wateringly expensive habit) so I make up for it by spending hours reading reviews of the latest eateries online.
Of course great food is closely tied up with the creativity of the chefs that cook it. Not all celebrity chefs merit praise for their actual cooking, but Raymond Blanc and Tom Aikens do. So it was with particular interest that I heard them speak to assembled journalists, food campaigners and fish suppliers last night.
Seafood See Life is the latest step in our campaign for sustainable fishing practices. We've worked with supermarkets to persuade them to sell more fish from sustainable sources but we also need to persuade food writers, restaurateurs and – of course – the actual consumers. Getting the endorsement of celebrity chefs is a great way to do that; and it is fantastic to have the support of chefs who are leaders in their field (with a total of three Michelin Stars between them). All those attending last night were asked to pledge to do their bit to protect our oceans, and many signed up on the spot.
Because it is serious. Professor Callum Roberts – author of the indispensable The Unnatural History of the Sea spoke about the destruction of fish stocks over the years: from days when it was possible to catch blue fin tuna in the North Sea and cod so big you couldn’t carry them (you can here his speech here). Today, as we know, fish stocks are in crisis. The oceans – such a rich source of life and biodiversity – are now being trawled so extensively that the sea bed could soon turn into the aquatic equivalent of a dust bowl. That's why Greenpeace is calling for 40 per cent of our oceans to be designated marine reserves - national parks at sea where no fishing takes place and marine life gets a chance to recover.
Raymond Blanc spoke passionately about the personal responsibility of everyone involved in food for bringing about this crisis – for too long we've enjoyed endless fish without caring where it came from. But now things were changing and chefs were aware of the damage we can do to our planet.
Tom Aikens talked about his personal journey . How he has learnt about sustainability issues while he launches a new fish and chip restaurant. It was a moving story and included his thoughts on the livelihoods of fishing communities.
Of course, no one is saying we must never fish – but we need to protect 40% of the world's oceans to give them space to recover while we fish with sustainable methods in the rest. If we did this then fish stocks will recover; fishermen will still have a trade; and foodies like me will be still be able to enjoy langoustines, salmon and sole.
Find out more about Seafood See Life
Is your seafood sustainable: consult our 'red list' to see what should be off your menu
