A seafood company and a conservation organization walked into a bar…it sounds like the start of an old joke. But Saturday night, on the eve of the Boston Seafood Show, it was more than 100 companies and conservation groups raising a glass to progress on sustainable seafood. Far from a joke: it was a sign of the new reality of businesses and NGOs working together to ensure a long-term seafood supply.
The reception was hosted by the Conservation Alliance for Seafood Solutions, a partnership of 15 groups from the United States and Canada that released the Common Vision for Environmentally Sustainable Seafood two years ago. Since then, the industry has made incredible progress. Many new companies, including Safeway, Giant Eagle, ARAMARK, and Overwaitea Food Group, have made public commitments to sustainable seafood based on Common Vision principles. Other companies that had been quiet leaders for years, like Ahold USA Retail and Compass Group North America, have deepened their commitments to work with suppliers to source environmentally responsible products.
From barely a mention a few years ago, sustainable seafood has become a core focus of the Boston Seafood Show. This year, companies can meet with more conservation organizations than ever before on the show floor. Booth 275 is a one-stop-shop for learning more about the members of the Conservation Alliance. Monterey Bay Aquarium will be there, along with FishWise, FishChoice, WWF, New England Aquarium and Ocean Conservancy.
Sustainable seafood has also earned its place as a track in the show’s conference programming, with panels exploring how to increase consumer demand, engage in fisheries improvement projects and solve challenges related to procuring sustainable product.
It’s going to be an exciting week here in Boston, and even more exciting to see where the sustainable seafood movement goes next.
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March 14, 2010
