Global chefs unite to support Save the Oceans: Feed the World campaign

Luciana Bianchi - 17/03/2015

Twenty chefs from some of the world’s finest restaurants today announced their commitment to OCEANA’s global campaign, Save the Oceans: Feed the World, at the Basque Culinary Centre in San Sebastian.

Hosted by chefs Andoni Luis Aduriz of Mugaritz and Joan Roca of El Celler de Can Roca, the attending chefs are: Ferran Adrià (elBulli Foundation, Spain); Massimo Bottura (Osteria Francescana, Italy); Daniel Humm (Eleven Madison Park, USA); Ashley Palmer-Watts (Dinner by Heston Blumenthal, UK); Alex Atala (D.O.M., Brazil); Juan Mari and Elena Arzak (Arzak, Spain), Pedro Subijana (Akelaŕe, Spain); Grant Achatz (Alinea, USA); Brett Graham (The Ledbury, UK); Joachim Wissler (Vendôme, Germany); Heinz Reitbauer (Steirereck, Austria); Gastón Acurio (Astrid y Gastón, Peru); Enrique Olvera (Pujol, Mexico); Rodolfo Guzmán (Boragó, Chile); Normand Laprise (Toqué, Canada) and José Luis González (Gallery Vask, Philippines). René Redzepi (Noma, Denmark) was unable to attend the event but has also pledged his support for the campaign. Image and video hosting by TinyPic

“It is truly amazing,” noted chef Aduriz, “that so many prominent chefs who are so hectically busy, have come to San Sebastian. Chefs feel passionately about the importance of wild seafood, not just on the small scale and what it brings to our kitchens, but also because of its importance to the planet. We all just deeply feel the need to support this campaign and help make the oceans abundant again.”

Watch the video here: http://perfectprotein.oceana.org/watch-the-documentary/

Oceana is campaigning worldwide to save the oceans and feed the world. Scientists have documented the decline of wild fishing stocks in the global oceans. But the good news is that just 30 countries control over 90% of all the seafood caught in the world. Oceana and its allies are already winning policy victories in many of these countries. The group estimates that if proven policy changes that stop overfishing, limit bycatch and protect habitat are passed in the top seafood countries, there would be enough seafood to provide one billion people a healthy seafood meal each day.

“We are incredibly grateful that so many culinary superstars are coming together to announce their support for policy change that can help to restore the world’s oceans”, said Oceana Chief Executive Officer Andrew F. Sharpless, “We believe they can help to make a huge difference for Oceana’s campaigns and the hundreds of millions of people who depend on the world’s oceans for their sustenance.”

Sharpless and Oceana will release a special digital edition of his book The Perfect Protein on the occasion of the event that will also include sustainable seafood recipes from participating chefs. The book – which for the first time will be translated into Spanish, Portuguese and German – will be available for sale via Amazon in countries around the world.

The event opened today with the premiere screening of the short film documentary The Perfect Protein by Jorge Martínez, featuring the chefs discussing their support of ocean conservation and passion for the sea and its seafood. The chefs and Sharpless are participating in an open Q&A session with attending journalists and audience.

For more news about the event, follow the feeds of @mugaritz @oceana and @bculinary via Twitter and Instagram

Oceana is the largest international advocacy organization focused solely on ocean conservation. They run science-based campaigns and seek to win policy victories that can restore ocean biodiversity and ensure that the oceans are abundant and can feed hundreds of millions of people. Oceana victories have already helped to create policies that could increase fish populations in its countries by as much as 40% and that have protected more than one million square miles of ocean. There are Oceana campaign offices in the countries that control close to 25% of the world’s wild fish catch, including in North, South and Central America, Asia, and Europe.

To learn more, visit Oceana: www.oceana.org 
and The Basque Culinary Center: www.bculinary.com

(Press report by Mugaritz, Oceana and The Basque Culinary Center, 17th March 2015, San Sebastian, Basque Country, Spain.)