Take a Bite Out of the Toothfish Trade

Since AWI first reported on the serious conservation implications of the international trade in Patagonian Toothfish last winter, a concerted global effort has taken hold to curtail the commercialization of this fish, often marketed under the name, “Chilean Sea Bass.”

It is estimated that overfishing and illegal catches could push the Patagonian toothfish to extinction in five years. As well, countless thousands of sea birds including albatrosses and petrels die cruelly each year in this long-line fishery.

Almost 10,000 metric tons of Chilean Sea Bass were imported into the United States in 2000, but the National Environmental Trust (NET) reports that as much as 80% of the catch may be from pirate fishers operating outside the law.

Two campaigns are underway to save the species: a consumer boycott and a listing under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). The NET has begun a “Take a Pass on Chilean Sea Bass” campaign, urging restaurants to stop serving the otherwise popular fish. Already, high-end restaurants in New York and Washington have pledged to stop serving Chilean Sea Bass. More than 500 chefs across the US are on board. Todd Gray of the Equinox restaurant in Washington, DC, told the Environmental News Service, “Not serving Chilean Sea Bass is the right thing to do. Our guests strongly support us because they agree that it’s not worth sacrificing an entire species for our short term appetites.”

As the campaign continues, the Government of Australia has announced that it will propose listing the toothfish on Appendix II of CITES. Such a listing will not ban commercial trade but will require that proper export permits accompany each shipment, certifying that each catch is legal. According to Dr. David Kemp, Australia’s Federal Minister for the Environment and Heritage, “it is my view that what is at stake here is important enough to warrant the use of every available tool. A CITES listing is another string to the bow, another part of the effort.” CITES Parties will meet in Santiago, Chile this November.