First, the seafood show has food that is horrible. I usually attend the Fancy Food Show and a few other mainline food shows, and wow what a difference. At FMI I can live off the free samples! If I tried the same thing at the seafood show I would probably die. The majority of the offerings were either highly salted or fried (highly salted) prepared foods- essentially seafood for people who don't like seafood and prefer fast food. The seafood industry is using the Omega-3 message to market us trash food. What a shame that we are depleting our ocean resources so we can have "formed seafood sticks high in Omega-3s". Of course they fail to mention that these "seafood sticks" are high in fats, sodium, preservatives, mercury, PCBs and processed adjuncts. If we insisted that seafood products actually be healthy for you half the display companies at the seafood show would be gone and significant overfishing pressure would be gone as well.
Second, every fish marketed at the show had some sort of eco, green or sustainable marketing hook. The fact is if every fish could legitimately make these claims we would not be facing the commercial extinction of so many commercial fisheries. This was such baloney- it brings me to....
My third observation: "Brand & Bull." This is the new business model for many sustainable seafood companies. The idea is come up with a slick brand and marketing program for what is essentially a commodity fish, and then fabricate some feel good story that is long on consumer appeal and short on any facts to support the sustainable credentials of the fish. This approach will in the long run destroy credibility for sustainable seafood, if it hasn't already.
The more I work in this industry, the more convinced you need to work "outside" this industry to make a difference. At Litchfield Farms I have encouraged people to do a few things: (1) eat less wild fish- because if you don't they will all be gone; (2) support sustainable aquaculture- this means seafood that is raised with real sustainable practices; and (3) support seafood from producers you know (not brands) and make sure they are transparent and open. This is what we sell: a few wild species from our Community Supported Fisheries Program, aquacultured fish from folks that provide us all their sustainability data, and seafood marketed with full transparency as to who raised or produced the fish.
I am glad that we are making a difference- I wish we could do it faster, because I am afraid that every day we loose a local fisherman, and promote a faux brand that further depletes marine diversity. I am keeping the faith though.
