This year, Relais & Châteaux wants to amplify the theme of SEAsonality and unearth that the notion of “seasonality” is not necessarily a criterion of sustainability when it comes to seafood.
The first and most essential criterion is verification of stock status.
Throughout the month of June, hundreds of Relais & Châteaux chefs will be showcasing sustainable seafood products and explaining this accurate definition of seasonality that counters many preconceived notions.
The Relais & Châteaux World Oceans Day 2023 campaign:
Three Relais & Châteaux members address the implications of SEAsonality at their properties with respect to ocean and freshwater fishing as well as aquaculture:
- Chef Elena ARZAK (Restaurante ARZAK, Donostia, San Sebastián, Spain) shines a spotlight on the European anchovy (Engraulis encrasicolus), for which stocks in the Bay of Biscay have been replenished by virtue of a five-year fishing ban between 2005 and 2010. This resource is now carefully monitored, and the chef remains consistently involved in the process with local fishers and the local AZTI research center.
- Chef Scott BACON (The Ivy Hotel – MAGDALENA restaurant, Baltimore, Maryland, United States) has added an invasive species from the Chesapeake Bay, the blue catfish (Ictalurus furcatus), to the menu to focus attention on a little-known species that, when treated as a food fish, can impact an entire ecosystem.
- Owner Hannes BAREISS (Hotel BAREISS, Baiersbronn-Mitteltal, Germany) has established one of the most modern and innovative fish farms in Baden-Württemberg for hatching, rearing, and maturing trout. By modernizing the Forellenhof Buhlbach aquaculture station over a five-year period, he developed a leading-edge model of sustainable aquaculture that is environmentally friendly and respects animal welfare.
Join us for United Nations World Oceans Day (#UNWorldOceansDay) to celebrate SEAsonality (#SEAsonality #SEAsonnalité) and inspire the world to take action showcasing that the tides are changing (#planetocean #tidesarechanging).