To the Editor:

The Blue Point Grill has received much acclaim in our community as a premier seafood restaurant. Due in part to its deserved popularity, seventy-seven undergraduate students in an environmental policy course at Princeton University spent weeks preparing a comprehensive report on the sustainability of Blue Point Grill’s menu. This is an important issue because numerous studies have documented the extensive harm to ocean ecosystems caused by overfishing, bycatch, and other unsustainable practices.

Although we were pleased to find that 30 percent of the menu entrees used local, sustainably-sourced seafood and 50 percent used seafood that has the potential to be harvested sustainably with minimal environmental damage, we are concerned about the remaining 20 percent that consists of unsustainably harvested species.

We have mailed and emailed our report to the restaurant, and we have sought a meeting with the management of Blue Point Grill to discuss our findings and recommendations. Unfortunately, despite these efforts, the management has been unwilling to schedule a meeting.

We believe that by removing the unsustainable items on its menu, Blue Point Grill can live up to its advertised commitment toward sustainability. At the very least, we would like the restaurant to flag the sustainable entrees on its menu so that diners can make an informed choice. We urge customers to help in this effort by requesting information from their server about the environmental impact of their dishes.  And, as always, we are eager to meet with the management of Blue Point Grill to discuss our report.

Cecelia Coffey, Sarah Jeong,

Gina Talt and 53 signatories

Editor’s note: The Blue Point Grill submitted the following response:

The Blue Point Grill has always enjoyed a healthy dialogue with our customers on the subject of sustainable seafood practices and it is a topic we live with every day. It came to our attention that the Princeton Ecology Department conducted a study on our restaurant and our menu and we were disappointed not to be able to schedule a follow up meeting.

Our company has developed long lasting relationships with fisherman & purveyors all over the world who work within the guidelines and are certified by the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC).  Every MSC certified fishery has demonstrated that it maintains sustainable fish stocks, minimizes environmental impacts, and has proven to be a successful management program. We review reports weekly set by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and their report, Fish Watch is available in the lobby of Blue Point Grill for your convenience.

In business for over 30 years now, we take pride in the seafood that we offer and it’s sustainability for ours and future generations. By dealing with only certified purveyors who abide by all government fishing regulations and catch quotas, we stand by our menu and will continue supplying the Princeton area with the best seafood on the planet!

Jack Morrison

The Blue Point Grill