Messages from the International Boston Seafood Show
Posted on | March 17, 2010 | No Comments
North America’s largest annual gathering of seafood industry professionals took place over the past three days. SOP was given an opportunity to attend this year’s International Boston Seafood Show. Here, we report on some of the latest news and views on sustainability captured at the Show.
One of the messages that arose early was the difficulty of defining and understanding sustainable seafood. Some seafood processors and producers avoid getting involved in the movement because of the perceived burden to learn and incorporate its principles into their business strategies. Also, a market research firm told us that the general public has not yet grasped what the concept of sustainable seafood means. SOP believes these hurdles will be overcome as more people talk about this issue and as common definitions and goals begin to form. One show participant shared his prediction: just as minimum standards for food safety are expected by consumers, eventually minimum standards for sustainability will a given.
A highlight of the Show was a panel discussion put together by friend of SOP, Jacqueline Church. She continued her mission to make it easier for chefs to learn about sustainable seafood and make the case for putting more of it on their menus. In a meeting of the minds, Jacqueline stacked her panel with visionary Barton Seaver and attracted an conscious audience including man on a mission Casson Trenor.
During the discussion, Barton dropped a new term: restorative seafood. He acknowledges that fisheries cannot become sustainable overnight. But, if they show commitment to improving their practices and building healthier fish stocks, they should be rewarded with purchases from their buyers, processors, and consumers.
Casson introduced Bun Lai of Miya’s Sushi to the panel and audience. Congratulations are due to the chef and New Haven, Connecticut, restaurant for being the first on the east coast of the U.S. to serve and promote sustainable sushi. SOP looks forward to visiting Bun and learning more about his philosophies and sourcing practices.
By reporting on a few of the happenings at this year’s Show, SOP intends to illustrate that the sustainable seafood movement is still growing. As intelligent and passionate people continue pushing the dialogue, they are helping forge solutions that will allow future generations to have the same seafood choices we have now.
Tags: Barton Seaver > Bun Lai > Casson Trenor > chef > International Boston > International Boston Seafood Show > Jacqueline Church > Miya's Sushi > seafood > sustainable > Teach a Chef to Fish
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