September 10, 2013
Oceana Calls on Chefs to Support the SAFE Seafood Act
Oceana, the largest international advocacy group working solely to protect the world’s oceans, is calling on chefs and restaurant owners from across the country to sign-on to a letter in support of the Safety and Fraud Enforcement for Seafood (SAFE Seafood) Act, which would require full chain traceability of all seafood sold in the United States.
The legislation was introduced in March, following the release of Oceana’s national seafood testing results, which found that one-third, or 33 percent, of the 1,215 fish samples it collected from 674 retail outlets in 21 states were mislabeled according to U.S. Food and Drug Administration guidelines.
As of today, more than 300 chefs and restaurant owners, including Eric Ripert, Jacques Pepin, and Anthony Bourdain, have already joined Oceana to support this important legislation and help Stop Seafood Fraud, which hurts our wallets, our health and our oceans.
The SAFE Seafood Act would require that all seafood sold in the U.S. includes detailed information, such as when, where and how a fish was caught, so that chefs and restaurant owners can know more about the seafood they are serving. Chefs should be able to have full confidence that the seafood they serve their customers is safe, legally caught and honestly labeled.
If you would like to add your name to this letter, please contact me at avorpahl@oceana.org or (202) 467-1968.