Seafood for tomorrow

A new report on overfishing of popular seafood species in Asia has spurred Hong Kong eateries to serve up more sustainable fare, Mike Peters reports.

About 25 Hong Kong restaurants and hotels have joined a campaign to promote the sustainable consumption of seafood, a monthlong program that was launched on Tuesday with the release of a new study indicating that some marine resources in the South China Sea have been overfished to as low as 5 percent of their 1950s levels, while demand continues to rise.

Participating eateries and caterers will provide at least one certified-sustainable seafood dish on their menus until the end of November. Caterers for schools, corporations and universities are hosting programs to educate the local community about the state of marine ecosystems in the South China Sea. Restaurants, hotels and organizations taking part in the festival include Four Seasons Hotel Hong Kong, Grand Hyatt Hong Kong, Cafe Gray, Sohofama, Cafe Deco, Ocean Park, the University of Hong Kong and the Hong Kong Jockey Club.