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Minister says he will boycott Nobu over sale of bluefin tuna

Restaurant urged to drop sales of endangered fish

By Martin Hickman, Consumer Affairs Correspodent

Nobu Berkeley St restaurant in London’s West End

The Nobu Berkeley St restaurant in London's West End

The Fisheries Minister has joined British activists, writers, actors and artists in calling on the Japanese fish restaurant chain Nobu to stop serving endangered bluefin tuna.

In an interview with The Independent, Huw Irranca-Davies urged Nobu to heed scientific evidence that the species was in peril from overfishing and said he would boycott the £80-a-head chain while it was on the menu.

As a result of fierce criticism, Nobu has put symbols next to bluefin dishes at its restaurants in London (but not elsewhere) advising diners that the fish is "environmentally challenged", adding: "Please ask your server for an alternative." But it has so far resisted pressure to halt sales of the delicacy.

The World Wildlife Fund for Nature estimates that unless fishing is halted, breeding stock of the bluefin tuna in the Mediterranean will be wiped out by 2012. At Nobu's two restaurants in Mayfair, it serves bluefin in sushi and sashimi dinners for £32.50, toro tartar with caviar for £17.50 and seared toro with miso for £19.50.

"There is regulated trade in this species but, while I have a responsibility as a minister in trying to protect this species for years to come, similarly suppliers and restaurateurs have their individual responsibility as well," said Mr Irranca-Davies, a minister at the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra).

Asked whether Nobu should take the fish off the menu, he added: "Yes. They cannot simply abdicate responsibility when faced with the evidence.

"I wouldn't be eating in a restaurant that serves bluefin tuna, but they have to make their own decision. There are other fish they could make delicious meals out of. They have a part to play. There is also a part for consumers to play to put pressure on."

With France, Britain is backing a proposal by Monaco to list bluefin under Appendix I of the Convention on the International Trade in Endangered Species, which would ban its sale. Some of Nobu's A-list diners have indicated that they will boycott the restaurant in protest. In May, 31 high-profile diners including Sienna Miller, Charlize Theron and Sting signed a letter to the chef Nobu Matsuhisa, who founded the chain, and appealed for bluefin's removal so they could "dine with a clear conscience".

Nobu could not be contacted yesterday. In response to the letter from celebrity diners, it insisted there was still "enormous demand" for bluefin.

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Comments

A red herring
[info]ftgt wrote:
Monday, 20 July 2009 at 02:24 am (UTC)
The Fisheries minister taking a moral stand on the overfishing of blue fin tuna. Surely not? He is in charge of the ministry that is currently watching the end game for a whole range of fish that is served up in meals throughout the world. North Sea cod anyone? Any cod? Haddock? Tuna? Name any one of the common fish species humans eat and you'll find in pretty much every case they are under severe threat due to over fishing.

He could be a vocal advocate for change. An end to the subsidies that sustain and encourage over fishing for a start would help. He could use his and the UK's global influence to change EU and world fishing outlook and practice. He and his ministry could do their jobs and ensure responsible fishing that ensure fish populations are protected and not over fished. He and his ministry could do many many things to ensure responsible and sustainable fishing. But they don't.

The fact they don't shows just how little they care for the fish stocks he and his ministry are supposed to oversee and protect. Easy to take a pot shot at a few foreign (japanese) restaurants serving up blue fin tuna. Taking a firmly held stand against the giants of the fishing industry and some major fishing countries requires something else. Guts, belief in the cause, and a clear, serious commitment to protecting fish stocks.
Blue-fin Tuna
[info]ironspiderzero wrote:
Monday, 20 July 2009 at 06:50 am (UTC)
Sorry Huw, but it's just one fish species among many. Whole ecosystems are on the verge of collapse; one high-profile demonstration isn't enough. Bite the bullet and call for a real review on the Common Fisheries Policy, and address the problem of illegal fishing and bycatch.

Otherwise go and buy yourself a fiddle...
Wait for the official word...
[info]thomasgoodey wrote:
Monday, 20 July 2009 at 07:30 am (UTC)
Smells fishy to me - like, another useful stick to beat the Japanese with (after whales and dolphins). I'll wait for the CITES endangered species determination, thank you. If and when it eventuates.
[info]unexpectedtiger wrote:
Monday, 20 July 2009 at 01:49 pm (UTC)
What? You're a bloody government minister. Don't just complain like the rest of us have to, try and get a law passed.
Nobu could not be contacted yesterday
[info]kuma2000 wrote:
Monday, 20 July 2009 at 02:09 pm (UTC)
Doesn't sound unusual, their customer service people failed to even acknowledge our complaint that the brown coloured green tea they served us was substandard (during our meal several waiters and managers visited our table to protest that this was Nobu and they serve only the best Japanese tea in the world after which a muppet of a chef arrived with a huge jar filled with obviously poor quality tea inside and "product of USA" on the front). There are much better Japanese restaurants around with the advantage that you don't run the risk of Sting proselytizing about rain forests on the next table. In London Yoshino just off Piccadilly was good and didn't have prices that were twice what they should be.

And as fisheries minister Huw Irranca-Davies should be doing more than saying he will not eat at a high end restaurant at taxpayers' expense. Get your head out the trough and start doing some work Huwwy-boy.
(no subject) - [info]iq_tests - Monday, 20 July 2009 at 05:09 pm (UTC) Expand
(no subject) - [info]iq_tests - Tuesday, 21 July 2009 at 07:45 am (UTC) Expand

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