Wally Stevens inducted into Boston's Seafood Hall of Fame

Seafood industry veteran Wally Stevens has been inducted into the Boston Fisheries Foundation’s Boston Seafood Hall of Fame for his service to the seafood business and the sustainability initiatives he has led over the past five decades.

Currently the executive director of the Global Aquaculture Alliance, Stevens was named the Hall of Fame’s 2017 inductee at a ceremony on Boston’s historic Fish Pier on 13 August, surrounded by longtime industry friends, partners and allies.

“Wally has been a leader in the seafood industry for decades,” said Richard Stavis, board member of the Boston Fisheries Foundation and CEO of Stavis Seafoods. “A true innovator, Wally has touched virtually all aspects of the seafood business. He was one of the first to raise salmon in Maine, served as president of a major Boston-based seafood distributor and then jumped to the NGO side of the business with the Global Aquaculture Alliance, which through its Best Aquaculture Practices certification program, has helped set and propagate sustainable aquaculture standards and practices globally. Wally has helped the Boston and global seafood industries in countless ways. His commitment to responsible, sustainable aquaculture has also furthered the concept of sustainability, which will help feed current and future populations. He is incredibly deserving of induction into the Boston Seafood Hall of Fame.”

During his 47 years of service to the seafood industry so far, Stevens has worked with not only GAA, but with Slade Gorton (for more than 17 years), Ocean Products, and Booth Fisheries. Before entering the industry, Stevens served in the U.S. Army during the Vietnam era, assisting with the transportation of men and materials to and from Southeast Asia. 

Stevens has been integral in GAA’s growth as well as the expansion of its Best Aquaculture Practices third-party certification program. His other aquaculture endeavors include acting as the treasurer of the Responsible Aquaculture Foundation. 

Volunteering with the National Fisheries Institute has also  been a constant throughout Stevens’ career – he served as NFI’s chairman in 2001 and co-founded the organization’s educational Future Leaders program.  

Established in 2014, the Boston Seafood Hall of Fame aims to honor the pioneers and leaders of the New England seafood community, according to its founders. Previous inductees into its ranks include the late Gerry Frattollilo in its first year of inception; Brian Rothschild, president of the New Bedford-based Center for Sustainable Fisheries, in 2015; and Angela Sanfilippo, president of the Gloucester Fishermen’s Wives Association, last year.

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