THREE RENOWNED international chefs were guests at the European Parliament (EP) kitchens recently where they prepared a special sustainable fish dish for thousands of MEPs, staff and visitors of the Parliament.
Belgian chef Lionel Rigolet from the 2-star Michelin restaurant Comme Chez Soi, Eric Coisel from the renowned Parisian seafood restaurant Prunier and Jean-Claude Moucaud from LEcuelle in Luxembourg prepared dishes of sustainable seafood whilst the EP Environment Committee voted to make environmental goals a priority in the new Common Fisheries Policy (CFP).
The CFP has been in place for three decades and undergone two reviews later this year it will be reformed for the third time. Some 75% of European fish stocks are currently overexploited, and many businesses and environmental groups are calling for this to be a robust reform that prioritises the sustainable management of struggling fish stocks.
Euro-Toques the European association of cooks is also backing such a reform, and used the recent event with WWF to highlight the importance of seafood to the foodservice industry. Speaking on behalf of Euro-Toques Rigolet said:
As chef of a 2-star Michelin restaurant, I need to make sure that the dishes I offer to my clients are made with the best ingredients that respect the environment and our natural resources. The problem is that the best ingredients are not always readily available on the market because stocks are low due to overfishing. That is why we are asking members of the European Parliament to help us save our natural resources. We want to continue to offer our clients fresh and sustainable seafood and let them discover the best of our culinary art.
WWFs programme director, Andrea Kohl said that the chefs added an important voice to its call for sustainable reform. We have to understand that if we dont act now to save our seas and start fishing and consuming sustainably, all of us will be affected – our fishermen, the fishing sector and also chefs and consumers at the end of the supply chain.
As rapporteur of the European Parliament for the CFP regulation, MEP Ulrike Rodust added: All of us have a role to play to save Europes fish and fisheries sector from decline. [This] event shows that both chefs and consumers can help to solve the problem of overfishing, by buying and demanding sustainable seafood. As representatives of the people, we MEPs, have to acknowledge this demand by guaranteeing that our policies allow fish stocks to recover and to be managed in a responsible way.
