A major hospitality group is calling on the chefs of its 580 properties, including several in Benelux, to remove threatened seafood species from their menus.
The demand, by Relais & Châteaux, is part of its stated mission to contribute to the protection and development of biodiversity.
The worldwide association of independent hotels and restaurants has pledged to contribute to the regeneration and development of marine ecosystems.
The group has several properties in Benelux.
In Belgium these comprise Hôtel Heritage, Kasteel van Ordingen, Le Chalet de la Forêt and Restaurant Zilte. In Luxembourg they are Hôtel Place d’Armes and Villa Pétrusse while those in the Netherlands include Château St. Gerlach, Château Neercanne, Weeshuis Gouda, Het Roode Koper, Central Park Voorburg, Bij Jef (Texel) and Restaurant Da Vinci.
Commenting on the move on Wednesday, Laurent Gardinier, President of Relais & Châteaux, told this site, “We believe that the future of hospitality and gastronomy goes together with protecting biodiversity.
“This collective initiative to remove threatened marine species from our menus reflects our responsibility as the biggest network of gastronomic restaurants in the world to inspire meaningful change,” added Gardinier.
He said the company would continue its actions to protect endangered species by inviting chefs to remove at least one threatened species from their menus, depending on the state of stocks in different regions of the world where the association operates (North America, Europe, Asia, Africa, South America and Oceania).
The members who participate must commit to doing so until the stock of the species removed has returned to a “healthy level.”
Some 18 species have been selected together with Ethic Ocean, due to their popular local consumption and because their wild stocks are threatened in the region.
Under the association’s radar in Europe are the European eel (Anguilla anguilla), Wild Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar), brown crab (Cancer Pagurus), European hake (Merluccius merluccius) in the Mediterranean sea, and Atlantic mackerel (Scomber scombrus).
Further comment on the new initiative comes from Mauro Colagreco, Vice Vice President, Chefs of Relais & Châteaux, who said, “As chefs, we hold immense responsibility.
“Every menu shapes habits, influences markets and contributes to defining the future of our oceans. What we refuse to serve is as important as what we choose to highlight: it guides suppliers, influences desirability and therefore inspires change.
“Let’s all listen to the ocean before it falls silent.”
Relais & Châteaux restaurants in Benelux are also contributing to this initiative in their own way, including Château St. Gerlach in Valkenburg. As part of National Ocean Month, Restaurant Les Salons will serve sustainably caught seabass throughout the month of June.
The fish is sourced from FAO 27, the area of the Northeast Atlantic where fishing is done responsibly. In addition to this special menu, Les Salons offers a vegetarian menu year-round, as do Restaurant Château Neercanne and L’Auberge, both located at Château Neercanne in Maastricht.
Chef de Cuisine Robert Levels explains: “At Château Neercanne, we’re fortunate to have access to beautiful local ingredients, many of which we grow in our own garden.
“It’s wonderful to complement these with responsibly sourced fish that align with the principles of Relais & Châteaux.And by doing this together with other members, we can truly make an impact.”
Viki Geunes, of Zilte in Antwerp. acknowledges: “I have stopped serving or do not serve one or more threatened species at my property, and I pledge to keep it off our menu(s) until stocks recover.”
Relais & Châteaux says it has endeavoured to pursue its mission to contribute to the protection of marine biodiversity since 2009, when the association signed the Ethic Ocean charter.
At that time, Relais & Châteaux chefs agreed to remove North-East Atlantic Ocean and Mediterranean Sea bluefin tuna (Thunnus thynnus) from their menus.
Thanks to this, the association participated in a collective effort to save the population of bluefin tuna from collapse in the North-East Atlantic Ocean and Mediterranean Sea.
This species was subject to intense overfishing (including illegal fishing) in the early 1990s, which continued for over 15 years. Thanks to management measures implemented starting in 2007, the status of the Eastern stock has improved since 2010 and the stock is now considered not overfished.
In 2023, the association launched an “SOS for Biodiversity” and invited its members to stop serving various eel species. In total, 84% of members have declared to not serve eel, with 34% having removed it from their menu.
Gilles Boeuf, President, Ethic Ocean, said, “By verifying the sustainability of the species they serve – by checking information such as the scientific name, origin, fishing and farming methods – we hope that Relais & Châteaux chefs can influence not only consumers but also their own suppliers and producers – whether fishers or aquaculture farmers – so that all stakeholders in the supply chain become truly aware of the role they can play in the sustainable management of marine resources.
“We all have a role to play.”
