Sustainable Seafood Gatekeepers: Chefs and Nonprofits

Fish and seafood provide sustenance to over two billion people, and worldwide per capita consumption of fish is higher than any other source of protein.  Much attention has been paid to the security of fish as a major food resource in recent years, with researchers, regulators, consumers, fishers, and other stakeholders taking various actions to manage and maintain this resource.  Various nonprofit organizations, for example, investigate the sustainability of various fisheries and rank or certify popular seafood species according to their sustainability.  Organizations additionally seek to educate consumers and chefs (referred to as gatekeepers of the seafood industry) about how their choices of seafood impact 1) the ocean environment, 2) specific wild populations and 3) the ability of the seafood industry to continue operating.  We surveyed chefs to determine what factors, if any, influence the choice to serve sustainable vs. unsustainable seafood.  We address the role of sustainable seafood campaigns in chef decisions regarding seafood, and illustrate, in depth, the efforts nonprofit organizations take to improve chef and consumer knowledge regarding seafood sustainability.