Mar. 29--Taking their cue from culinarians across the country, some of Houston's best-known chefs are banishing Chilean sea bass from their menus. 

Other local chefs and restaurateurs express confidence their sea bass does not come from illegal overfishing in Antarctic waters. Still others say only that customers love it, making it hard to remove from menus. 

"It's a floating hot dog," scoffed chef-owner Scott Tycer of Aries. "It is overfished. And there's a million other good reasons not to use it." 

Chefs in two U.S. dining destinations have committed to not serving Chilean sea bass. In Chicago this week, 50 chefs joined the "Take a Pass on Chilean Sea Bass" campaign that began in northern California. More than 60 chefs in the San Francisco area stopped serving the fish last month. 

The sea bass campaign carries onto a global stage issues that have challenged state lawmakers along the Gulf Coast since the mid-1980s. 

First redfish (victim of the Cajun "blackening" craze in restaurants) and then speckled trout were singled out for various forms of federal or state protection. In both cases, marine biologists say, temporarily limiting the catch led to a larger, healthier fish population. 

The sea bass campaign, which mirrors a boycott of swordfish called "Give Swordfish a Break" four years ago, is expected to seek support next in New York, Los Angeles, Washington and Philadelphia. There are no specific plans to establish a formal presence in Houston. 

"There's a growing consensus around this fishery that it's seriously overfished and that 3 out of every 4 pounds that are caught every year are caught illegally," said Gerald Leape, marine conservation program director for the National Environmental Trust, the Washington-based group leading the campaign. 

"We've been very encouraged by the response from chefs we know all over the country." 

Nationally, some 350 chefs have signed a pledge to serve no Chilean sea bass for at least five years, or until new regulations are put in place to guarantee the fish's survival and stop the killing of sea birds (including the endangered albatross) lured by bait on up to 30,000 hooks floating on fishing lines as long as 15 miles. 

The NET hopes a boycott by chefs will bring stricter regulations for sea bass fishing and harsher penalties for violations of international regulations. 

In 2000, overfishing by "pirate boats" inspired enactment of a Catch Documentation Scheme by the United States and 23 other countries that had signed a Commission for the Conservation of Marine Living Resources treaty to protect the southern ocean. 

By law, no Chilean sea bass can enter the United States without CDS certification. 

In addition, countries such as France and Australia with islands near the fishing grounds have increased their patrols in order to catch pirate boats. 

While 24 countries belong to the CCAMLR governing body, Leape said, there are more than 50 countries involved in the sea bass trade. 

At Cafe Annie, executive chef Ben Berryhill said Chilean sea bass will disappear from the menu Tuesday, a result of increasingly spotty quality mixed with concern for the threatened sea bass population. 

"It was like the Fish of the Year four years running," Berryhill said. "But now I'm reading that it's being overfished and they're not treating it well ... we're having more and more problems getting it where it's not frozen." 

No Houston chef reported customer complaints after removing Chilean sea bass from the menu; Alaskan halibut recently came into season and fits the more popular presentations. The substitution of fish was not expected to affect menu prices, which generally range from $24 to $29 for entrees. 

According to the NET, nearly 80 percent of each year's 18,000 tons of Chilean sea bass sold on the world market is illegally obtained. The fish became popular a decade ago, when marketing companies came up with a more appealing name for what had been the Patagonian toothfish. In 2001, Chilean sea bass was named Dish of the Year by Bon Appetit magazine. 

At Houston's Vallone Restaurant Group, Chilean sea bass continues to be served at the flagship Tony's, as well as at Anthony's, and it turns up as a special at Vallone's Steak House and La Griglia. Even though these restaurants are using more Alaskan halibut, company purchasing director Chuck Moceri said there is plenty of legal sea bass. 

"We are concerned about the issue," Moceri said. "There is a problem with illegal poaching, maybe 10 times the legal catch. However, 12,000 metric tons come in legally. I'm confident we're buying from people who are selling legal fish." 

Moceri said Chilean sea bass has much to recommend it to chefs and diners alike: It's snow white, flaky, extremely flavorful and versatile in the kitchen. The restaurant group currently uses some 300 pounds a week. 

"We've noticed more of a demand since a lot of people are banning it," said executive chef Bruce McMillian of Tony's. "It's still a great dish. It's one of our largest sellers." 

Executive chef Jim Mills of The Houstonian said he learned details of the sea bass issue from other chefs at a national workshop sponsored by the hunger relief organization Share Our Strength. 

"I started to hear rumblings about this problem with the fishery about the middle of last summer," said Mills. "Ever since I came back, we have been steadily removing that fish from our menu. Right now, it is not on any restaurant or catering menu here." 

As far back as 1998, California's Monterey Bay Aquarium -- keeper of the world's most widely circulated list of seafoods that should and should not be eaten -- declared Chilean sea bass a fish to avoid. 

"Heavy, unregulated fishing is wiping out this slow-growing, deep-ocean species," aquarium officials said. 

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