Here’s a recap of this week’s can’t-miss SeafoodSource news stories and commentaries:
• Don’t miss SeafoodSource Contributing Editor Jason Holland’s interview with Laky Zervudachi, director of sustainability at UK foodservice supplier Seafood Holdings. Zervudachi talks at length about his work with chefs and caterers to encourage greater understanding of the importance of responsible sourcing. He also talked a lot about the challenge of meeting the sustainability criteria of the London 2012 Olympic Committee’s Food Vision. Click here to view part one, and here to see part two.
• Another can’t-miss interview is SeafoodSource Contributing Editor Christine Blank’s chat with Bill Carvalho, founder of McKinleyville, Calif., sustainable seafood supplier Wild Planet Foods. Carvalho talks about how the influx of supermarket sustainability programs over the past year or two has affected the supplier-retailer relationship.
• Crab boat captains Sig Hansen and Andy and Johnathan Hillstrand are saying “bye” to Deadliest Catch, one of cable TV’s most popular shows. The program has raised consumer awareness of Alaska’s crab-fishing industry and elevated Alaska crab to rock star status since its 2005 debut. The question now is, “Will the departure of three stars and the death of another (Phil Harris in February) spell lower ratings for the show and diminished interest in king crab?” SeafoodSource Assistant Editor April Forristall has the answer in her Media Watch commentary, titled “Deadly Move?”
• In my “Raw bar rally” commentary this week, I pay homage to raw oysters, which exhibits provenance more than any other seafood, filtering up to 50 gallons of seawater a day and taking on the characteristics of the body of water in which they were grown. Though raw oysters can be intimidating, the product’s individuality and sense of place are exactly what U.S. restaurateurs and retailers require to initiate a dialog about seafood with their seafood-shy customers. Unfortunately, ocean acidification is a growing threat to the U.S. oyster industry.
• The color-coded seafood-buying guides produced by organizations like the Monterey Bay Aquarium get a lot of attention. But are such guides too simplistic, especially for seafood-savvy consumers and professional chefs? A panel of three fishermen and one chef tackled the issue during the Chefs Collaborative National Summit in Boston this week.
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