The Monterey Bay Aquarium has launched a national campaign asking top U.S. chefs and culinary decision makers to take a “Save Our Seafood” pledge not to serve items listed in the “avoid” section of the Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch List.

Seafood Watch is one of the best known sustainable seafood advisory lists, compiled by the Monterey Bay Aquarium. The origin of the list can be traced back to the “Fishing for Solutions” exhibit which ran at the Monterey Bay Aquarium from 1997 to 1999.

The list consists of an avoid list and a good-alternative list and is updated twice a year. The website (http://www.montereybayaquarium.org/cr/seafoodwatch.aspx ) is updated even more frequently.

“Ocean life is still in decline and we clearly need to take urgent action to turn things around,” said aquarium Executive Director Julie Packard. “The good news is that we know what it will take, and that key players are working more closely than ever to solve the problems. I’m confident that we can and will create a future with healthy oceans.”

So far, about two dozen top culinary professionals from across the nation have agreed to adhere to the list, including Susan Spicer (Bayona, New Orleans), Rick Bayless (Frontera Grill/Topolobampo, Chicago), Suzanne Goin (Lucques, Los Angeles), Mary Sue Milliken and Susan Feniger (Border Grill/Ciudad, Los Angeles), Fedele Bauccio (Bon Appetit Management Co., Palo Alto), Rick Moonen (rm seafood, Las Vegas), Michelle Bernstein

(Michy’s, Miami), Alton Brown (Be Square Productions, Atlanta), and Michel Nischan (The Dressing Room, Westport, Conn.).

Monterey Bay Aquarium is also working with 14 nonprofit organizations across the United States and Canada as part of the Conservation Alliance for Seafood Solutions (www.solutionsforseafood.org). Participating organizations have crafted a Common Vision for Environmentally Sustainable Seafood to help seafood buyers and suppliers develop comprehensive, corporate policies on sustainable seafood. Since the debut of the Common Vision in 2008, more than 20 major companies across North America have pledged their support.