Here are some talking points to help you explain the Portland Pact to your customers or use when talking to media.

• As a chef who serves seafood, my business relies on the long-term health of our fisheries, our fishing industry, and our oceans. I am responsible for developing and delivering menu items that taste great and meet customer demand, including finding ingredients that are produced without harming the planet.
• To deliver on this promise while serving up seafood dishes like (NAME OF RESTAURANT)’s famous (Name a seafood special), I need access to a steady supply of sustainable seafood. And to have sustainable seafood, we need science-based policies that make sure our fisheries are managed properly.
• Thanks to a law known as the Magnuson-Stevens Act, the U.S. has some of the best managed fisheries in the world. This law ensures I’ll continue to have access to a steady supply of sustainably-caught domestic seafood.
  • The Magnuson-Stevens Act controls the amount of fish that we take from the ocean, so that we can all enjoy this resource now and in the future.
  • Since 2000, the Magnuson-Stevens Act has helped recover more than 40 fish species that had been depleted by overfishing. Today, overfishing is near historic lows.
  • The Magnuson-Stevens Act also protects the jobs of the fishermen we work with, who rely on healthy fisheries for their livelihoods.
• Unfortunately, some special interest groups and members of Congress are trying to weaken this law, which could spell trouble for chefs and seafood lovers alike.
• Chefs throughout the country are signing on to the Portland Pact for Sustainable Seafood as part of a nationwide movement to promote healthy fisheries and a strong seafood economy.

Download Talking Points Document