EJF, 1 Amwell Street, London, EC1R 1UL, UK T: +44 (0)20 7239 3310 info@ejfoundation.org www.ejfoundation.org Registered charity no: 1088128
st
London: Wednesday 1 July 2015
Leading restaurants celebrate World Oceans Day
The Environmental Justice Foundation’s (EJF) Save the Sea Restaurant Campaign is now
in full swing, with prominent German and UK restaurants collecting donations throughout
June, July and August to spread the word about sustainability and traceability in seafood
supply chains, and to celebrate World Oceans Day.
The Campaign, which was launched on Monday 1st June, sees participating restaurants
promoting sustainable seafood and raising essential funds for EJF’s Oceans work which combats
illegal pirate fishing, protects marine biodiversity and ensures the livelihoods and food security of
coastal communities. Restaurants are adding an opt-out £1 donation onto every bill or are
offering a sustainable seafood dish with a £1 donation included in the menu price.
In the last three years, the campaign has received support from 53 restaurants with 32 Michelin
stars between them, raising over £25,000 for EJF’s Oceans Campaign.
This year, for the first time, EJF has extended the Restaurant Campaign to restaurants in
Germany. The participating resturants in Germany are Gasthaus zum Raben, Landhaus
Scherrer, Cornelia Poletto, La Vie and Jellyfish. They join leading UK restaurants, including
Restaurant Martin Wishart, Tom’s Kitchen Deli, Café St Honore and Firmdale Hotels, in
promoting sustainable seafood and raising funds for EJF’s Oceans Campaign.
World Oceans Day is a global celebration of our planet’s oceans, where people around the world
come together to recognise the importance and fragility of the waters that make up 99% of the
living space on our Earth. This initiative for World Oceans Day aims to highlight how UK and
German restaurants can make a huge difference close to home by sourcing and choosing
sustainable caught fish caught using environmentally friendly methods. The participating
restaurants are demonstrating how sustainable sourcing and consumer choices can help protect
our oceans and keep seafood on our menus in the long term.
Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) or ‘pirate’ fishing has been identified as one of the
most serious threats to the world’s fisheries. Globally, pirate fishing is estimated to be worth US
$10-23 billion annually, representing up to an estimated 30% of the world’s total catch. By
ignoring national and international laws and regulations, pirate fishing fleets are destroying
marine habitats, decimating wildlife and undermining vulnerable coastal communities that depend
upon natural marine resources for their food security and livelihoods.
EJF’s Oceans Campaign aims to eradicate ‘pirate’ fishing. EJF is working to create full
transparency and traceability within seafood supply chains and markets and to actively promote
improvements to policy-making, corporate governance and management of fisheries along with
consumer activism and market-driven solutions. EJF’s work has resulted in prosecutions, fines
and the eradication of illegal fishing vessels from areas reserved for artisanal fishers in West
African countries including Sierra Leone, Cote d’Ivoire and Liberia.
EJF, 1 Amwell Street, London, EC1R 1UL, UK T: +44 (0)20 7239 3310 info@ejfoundation.org www.ejfoundation.org Registered charity no: 1088128
What the participants say:
Tom Aikens – Tom’s Kitchen Deli
“As a long term supporter of EJF's Save the Sea campaign, I am delighted to take part in this
growing initiative to protect the world's oceans. I am proud to play a part in EJF’s inspiring work
protecting marine biodiversity, endangered wildlife and the vulnerable fishing communities in
some of the world's poorest nations.”
Martin Wishart – Restaurant Martin Wishart, The Honours, Martin Wishart at Loch Lomond
“By supporting this campaign in my restaurants, we can help to educate the public on this
pressing worldwide issue. Diners’ contributions are so greatly appreciated. I strongly believe this
cause will help to minimise further devastation in our seas.”
Geoffrey Smeddle – The Peat Inn
“It is a great privilege to be included once again in this year's Save the Sea Restaurant Campaign
and World Ocean's Day. Restaurateurs and chefs recognise the importance of leading the way in
protecting our planet and it is wonderful that so many guests embrace this attitude as well. The
Environmental Justice Foundation is instrumental in spreading this message and reminding us all
of our responsibilities.”
David Sneddon – The Larder on Goosegate
'I'm very pleased to be able to support this campaign & bring it to the attention of our
customers this July. Ethical & sustainable working practices are something we all need to be
not just aware of, but actively support & participate in helping foster change'.
Sam Harrison – Harrison’s and Sam’s Brasserie and Bar
“I am delighted that both my restaurants, Sam’s Brasserie & Harrison’s, are taking part in the
Save the Sea Restaurant Campaign. This is a cause that I really believe in and will raise very
important funding to protect our seas. We will be donating £1 for every Whole Plaice ordered at
both restaurants throughout the campaign.”
Steve Trent, Executive Director of EJF, said:
"EJF is proud to work with chefs and restaurants who are not only producing wonderful, inspired
dishes, but are passionate about sourcing food ethically and sustainably. From those who avoid
threatened fish or air freighting, to those who source from local fishermen or select species
caught without damaging marine ecosystems, everyone involved in our Save the Sea Restaurant
Campaign knows how important our seafood choices are in protecting ocean life and all the
people whose livelihoods and food depend on it.
100% of funds raised by this campaign will go directly to our cost efficient project which combats
illegal pirate fishing in West Africa, protects threatened species, including sharks, turtles, rays and
dolphins, and promotes transparency and traceability in seafood supply chains globally. Each and
every restaurant manager, chef, hospitality team and diner is contributing to tackling the urgent
threats that illegal fishing and overfishing pose to fish stocks, marine ecosystems, fishermen and
the livelihoods and food security of vulnerable coastal communities. This World Oceans Day
we're working together to defend the environment and human rights."
For information about how to take part in the Save the Sea Restaurant Campaign please visit:
www.savethesea-restaurant.com
EJF, 1 Amwell Street, London, EC1R 1UL, UK T: +44 (0)20 7239 3310 info@ejfoundation.org www.ejfoundation.org Registered charity no: 1088128
Further information about EJF’s Oceans Campaign can be found here:
www.ejfoundation.org/oceans
A short film about the issue of illegal fishing, which EJF is working to address,
can be viewed here: https://vimeo.com/78556808
High resolution images of EJF’s Oceans Campaign in West Africa are available on request.
Interview opportunities will be available with selected chefs and restaurant owners
as well as EJF’s Executive Director Steve Trent.
For further information, please contact Sandra Spethmann,
sandra.spethmann@ejfoundation.org +44 (0) 207 239 3310
EDITORS’ NOTES:
•
EJF’s Save the Sea Restaurant Campaign aims to promote sustainable seafood
and raise awareness of the need to protect marine wildlife and habitats. Money
raised will go towards EJF’s work in combatting illegal ‘pirate’ fishing in West Africa and
protecting the marine resources relied on by some of the world’s most vulnerable
communites.
•
The Save the Sea Restaurant Campaign is now in its fourth year, having been
supported by 53 restaurants, with 32 Michelin stars between them, and raising over
£25,000 in the first three years.
•
The concept for a ‘World Oceans Day’ was first proposed in 1992 by the
Government of Canada at the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro. As a result of a United
Nations General Assembly resolution passed in December 2008, World Oceans Day is
now officially recognised by the UN as June 8th each year. www.worldoceansday.org
•
World Oceans Day is coordinated by The Ocean Project which works to inspire action
to protect the world’s oceans. The Ocean Project advances ocean conservation in
partnership
with
zoos,
aquariums,
and
museums
(ZAMs)
worldwide.
www.theoceanproject.org
•
EJF is a UK-based non-profit organisation working internationally to protect the
environment and defend human rights. EJF believes environmental security is a
human right.
•
EJF’s Oceans Campaign aims to eradicate Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated
(IUU) or ‘pirate’ fishing. EJF is working to create full transparency and traceability within
seafood supply chains and markets and actively promote improvements to policy-making,
corporate governance and management of fisheries along with consumer activism and
market-driven solutions.
EJF, 1 Amwell Street, London, EC1R 1UL, UK T: +44 (0)20 7239 3310 info@ejfoundation.org www.ejfoundation.org Registered charity no: 1088128
•
EJF’s ambition is to secure truly sustainable, well-managed fisheries and with this
the conservation of marine biodiversity and ecosystems and the protection of
human rights. EJF believes that there must be greater equity in global fisheries to
ensure developing countries and vulnerable communities are given fair access and
support to sustainably manage their marine resources and the right to work in the
seafood industry without suffering labour and human rights abuses.
The 25 restaurants participating in the Save the Sea Restaurant Campaign 2015 so far are:
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Cafe St Honoré – Edinburgh,
Scotland
Charlotte Street Hotel (Firmdale
Hotel) – Tottenham Court Rd, London
Cornelia Poletto – Hamburg,
Germany
Covent Garden Hotel (Firmdale Hotel)
– Covent Garden, London
Dorset Square Hotel (Firmdale Hotel)
– Marylebone, London
Fabrics im nhow Hotel – Berlin,
Germany
Gasthaus zum Raben – Horben bei
Freiburg, Germany
Hamyard Hotel (Firmdale Hotel) –
Soho, London
Harrison’s – Balham, London
Haymarket Hotel (Firmdale Hotel) –
Piccadilly Circus, London
Jellyfish – Hambrg, Germany
Knighstbridge Hotel (Firmdale Hotel)
– Kinghtsbridge, London
La Vie – Osnabruck, Germany
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Landhaus Scherrer – Hamburg,
Germany
Martin Wishart at Loch Lomand –
Loch Lomond, Scotland
Moshi Moshi – Liverpool St, London
Number Sixteen (Firmdale Hotel) –
South Kensington, London
Restaurant Martin Wishart–
Edinburgh, Scotland
Sam’s Brasserie and Bar – Chiswick,
London
The Honours (Martin Wishart) –
Edinburgh, Scotland
The Larder on Goosegate –
Nottingham
The Peat Inn – St. Andrews, Scotland
The Soho Hotel (Firmdale Hotel) –
Soho, London
The Wright Brothers Soho Oyster
House – Soho, London
Tom’s Kitchen Deli – Canary Wharf
and St Katharine Docks, London