From February 15 to 22, Manila will hold the first ever world event of the Sustainable Seafood Week. The occasion has enlisted the collaboration of Manila’s top hotels and restaurants, environmental groups, and fisheries NGOs to declare their support for the promotion of sustainable seafood.
“The urgent need and commitment towards fully traceable, legal, sustainable, and sociallyresponsible seafood cannot be overemphasized,” stated Christian Schimidradner, general manager of Meliomar Inc,. the organizer of the event.
The Philippines has the most diversified marine life in the world and its waters are rich, but 90% of Philippine fish stocks are seriously plundered or diminished due tooverfishing, pollution, and destructive or illegal fishing practices. Restaurants and hotel groups now recognize that they can spearhead the increasing responsibility to procure from sustainable sources and to educate their consumers about the need for sustainable seafood.
“In the fisheries it’s more of cutting out endangered species, where does the fish come from (industrial and destructive methods), is it traceable, is it from legal or illegal fishing methods, It is from a long supply chain, we take notes. We know the boat, the landing sites, the weight, the temperature, and we can trace it. The key factor nowadays is where does the fish come from. Another concern is juvenile fish. You see on the plates that the fish get smaller and smaller, like the Lapu Lapu, that means the species is under tension because it is overfished,” Schmiradner added.
Hotels and restaurants participating in the event are New World Makati, Shangri-La hotels, Hyatt City of Dreams Manila, Marco Polo Ortigas, Marriott Manila Hotel, The Peninsula Manila, Fairmont and Raffles, Le Club, Hooch, Vask, Disciples Escoffier, and culinary school Enderun.
