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Executive chefs at the West Coast seafood show on Sunday, November 3 in Los Angeles, agreed that sustainable seafood is an important issue in the culinary world.
Daniel Long, executive chef at the Bon Appetit Management Co, explained: "I don't want to feel guilty. I don't want my grandkids saying 'Oh yeah, I had Chilean sea bass one New Year's Eve years ago'."
Michael Cimarusti, executive chef at the Water Grill, said he always considers the sustainability of the species, when he buys fish.
He tries to source his product from responsible fishers who use gear like hooks and lines, rather than trawlers.
"I try as hard as I can to buy from the small people - people that respect fishing the way it was done 50 or 60 years ago."
Daniel Long also has strong opinions about farmed salmon.
"To be perfectly honest, it is crap. Wild salmon is much better. I think we need to push salmon back to being a seasonal thing."
Van Broekhuizen was also concerned about the limited availability of wild salmon. "Wild salmon is huge for us. I'm happy to promote their product. It's awesome but off-season we buy farmed."
All the chefs agreed that the decision to sell a fish based on environmental concerns, can be a tough one, due to financial stakes involved as well as consumer demand for a product.
Andreas Nieto, executive chef for the Century Plaza Hotel and Spa, said that many of his fellow colleagues found it particularly difficult to take Chilean sea bass off their menus, as it was a consistent best seller.
He concluded: "I think it is a choice than we have to make individually… but we all want to protect our environment."
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