MEDIA RELEASE
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Tim Vimmerstedt, Marketing Director
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July 17, 2006
For Immediate Release
July 29 Cooking Demos and
Tastings with Tucson Top Chefs
Seafood Watch Campaign Lands in Tucson
TUCSON – The phrase,“. . . for all the fish in the sea.” doesn’t hold the weight it used to. Especially in
reference to red snapper, seabass, or bluefin tuna —a few of the many overfished or illegally caught
species found on today’s dinner table. To help consumers learn to make environmentally sound
seafood choices, the Arizona Sonora Desert Museum and the Sonoran Sea Aquarium has partnered
with Seafood watch to develop a new guide for the Gulf of California, that informs consumers and
retailers on what sustainable seafood choices are available from the Sea of Cortez and how to support
responsible aquaculture. The guide is part of the Monterey Bay Aquarium’s Seafood Watch campaign
now consisting of six regional and national pocket guides to sustainable seafood.
To help introduce the Gulf of California Guide, the Monterey Bay Aquarium will be in Tucson
presenting their national Seafood Watch program on Saturday, July 29, 2006 as part of the Summer
Saturday Evening. Guests can learn what sustainable seafood is and the benefits of choosing sustainable
products at multi-media presentations with the Monterey Bay Aquarium staff. As an extra bonus, some
of Tucson’s top chefs will be doing live cooking demonstrations and tastings using sustainable seafood.
“We have been following the Seafood Watch guidelines for a couple of years now,” explains
participating Chef Albert Hall of Acacia Restaurant, “and we are happy to help the Desert Museum and
the Seafood Watch program share the benefits of choosing sustainable seafood.” Other contributing
chefs include Nick Ruman and Martin Coy of the Ocotillo Café and Ironwood Food Services, and
Janos Wilder of J-Bar and Janos Restaurant.
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Seafood Watch at ASDM
July 17, 2006
Page 2
Since its debut in 1999, the Seafood Watch program has grown to include five regional pocket
guides featuring popular seafood items found in all areas of the United Sates; a Spanish-language pocket
guide; online resources for individuals, businesses and conservation organizations; and support
materials to help businesses and their partners make sustainable seafood a part of their everyday
activities.
The northern portion of the Sea of Cortez is located in the Sonoran Desert region and has one
of the most aquatically diverse and fragile ecosystems on the planet. It is also home to an international
fishing industry that is threatening the health of its waters. The guide hopes to broaden consumer
awareness of fish caught in the Gulf of California and environmentally sustainable dining.
The Ironwood Terraces and the Ocotillo Café at the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum
exclusively serve sustainable seafood, and when dictated the Museum’s animal collection dines on
sustainable fish as well.
The Monterey Bay Aquarium will also be conducting a commercial introduction to the Seafood
Watch program for local restaurant chefs and food suppliers on the afternoon of Thursday, July 27.
The importance of choosing sustainable seafood, common ingredient substitutions, and supplier
information will be discussed.
The Gulf of California pocket guide will be available at the Desert Museum ticket window and
restaurants, as well as being a download from www.desertmuseum.org. Other regional and national
pockets cards, and additional information on sustainable seafood are available at
www.seafoodwatch.org.
The Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum is one of the nation’s leading outdoor living museums,
featuring more than 300 species of native wildlife and 1,300 varieties of desert plants. The Museum,
located at 2021 N. Kinney Rd., is open every day of the year from 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. March
through September and from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. October through February. In June, July, and
August the Museum is open until 10 p.m. on Saturday evenings. Admission is free for members
and children under six. September through May admission is $12 for adults and $4 for children age six
through 12. Summer rates in June through August are $9 for adults and $2 for children age six
through 12. Call (520) 883-2702 or visit www.desertmuseum.org for more information.
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note to media: a .pdf version of the Gulf of California Seafood Watch card is available.