Spot Prawn Fishery Field Experience

A select few Summit delegates had the unique opportunity to join fishermen Steve Johansen and Frank Keitsch aboard the Organic Ocean spot prawn fishing boat early Tuesday morning.  It was a hard sell to ask the 6 delegates to tear themselves away from the thought provoking sessions, or leave the comfort of the climate controlled conference center and brave the unseasonably cold Vancouver temperatures for a two-hour excursion, but those things were quickly forgotten once on the water.  As we boated toward the snow-capped peaks in the distance, Steve and Frank gave insight into Organic Ocean’s philosophy and how important it is to keep the fishery sustainable for their own business needs as well as for the longevity of the species.  Steve and Frank harvest their spot prawns with traps rather than nets, which leave little impact on the sea bed and allow for little to no by catch.  In additional, much of what Organic Ocean harvests is distributed to local restaurants, which keeps their environmental impact and carbon footprint low.   After a short 15 minute boat ride we arrived at their buoys and watched as they pulled up the traps, which boasted colorful and active spot prawns.  These traps had been placed 24 hours prior and while they produced plentiful prawns for our viewing – and tasting - pleasure; one can imagine how bountiful they would be over a whole season. 

Instead of trying to describe with words the incredibly interesting experience learning about BC’s spot prawn fishery, I’ll revert to the saying: “a picture is worth a thousand words.”  One last thought before I leave you with these snapshots: Steve’s infectiously positive attitude left the delegates with a lot to be hopeful about, both in terms of the spot prawn fishery and fisheries in general.  Maybe we need more of a positive attitude to move in the right direction?

We conduct these field experiences as part of the Seafood Summit because it gives the delegates the opportunity to see (and touch, and taste and feel) fisheries in their true form, and truly wrap their heads around what works and what doesn’t.  Hopefully you'll be able to join us one one of these trips in the future.

Congratulations to Seafood Champions Finalists!

Congratulations are resounding through the hallways for the SeaWeb Seafood Champion finalists, which were announced at the Summit. The Seafood Champions are nominated annually and recognize individuals and companies for outstanding leadership in promoting environmentally responsible seafood. The award was established to honor those in the seafood industry whose contributions demonstrate a commitment to innovation that leads to change. Selected from more than 50 nominees, the 2011 Seafood Champion finalists are:

• Robert Clark, Executive Chef, C Restaurant & Harry Kambolis, CEO, Kambolis Group. Vancouver, Canada

• Phil Gibson, Seafood Group Director, Safeway Inc. California, United States

• Dune Lankard, Founder & Chairman, Eyak Preservation Council. Alaska, United States

• Steve Phillips, President and CEO, Phillips Foods and Seafood Restaurant. Maryland, United States

• Olivier Roellinger, Vice-Président, Relais & Châteaux. Paris, France

• Peter Weeden, Chef, Paternoster Chop House. London, United Kingdom

• Falmouth Fishselling Co. Cornwall, United Kingdom

• Pacific Coast Shellfish Growers Association. Olympia, Washington, United States

Many Seafood Champions from years past are among the 700 plus attendees this year and all working together to continue to push the envelope of progress toward sustainability! Melanie Siggs, SeaWeb vice president for sustainable markets congratulated the finalists saying “On behalf of those who nominated them and the panel of independent judges, we are delighted to recognize these eight finalists for their significant efforts to ensure responsibility is at the forefront of their activities and businesses. We look forward to presenting the 2011 Seafood Champion Awards at the Boston Seafood Show in March.”



Photos of Dune Lankard and Robert Clark

Seafood Summit: Day 2 - Thoughts as we enter a new day

 A thought-provoking plenary session kicked off Day Two of the 2011 Seafood Summit with a pre-filmed video presentation by Dr. Ray Hillborn.   He then joined the conference to take questions from participants via live link from New Zealand.  Dr. Hillborn presented his thoughts on the state and trends of the world fisheries, and the efficiencies of eating from the sea versus the land.  Hillborn indicated that based on the work he and others have undertaken recently that the majority of fish stocks are stable and not in rapid decline. One of the conclusions he reached was that terrestrial agriculture has greater overall impact and uses far more energy and resources than fishing.  He highlighted the example of the relative efficiencies of protein generation to feed Chilean anchoveta to fish (aquaculture) rather than farmed animals. The overall message was that the state of fisheries is not straightforward and that we need to look at the broader elements which includes the state of the ecosystem, and how it is modified and maintained.

If ever there was a need to clone oneself it is at the Summit! The array of interesting sessions makes for tough choices.  The morning’s offerings included exploration of food security in the Coral Triangle, the challenges of traceability in Mediterranean farmed Bluefin tuna, to the role of producers businesses and governments in eliminating confusion about sustainable choices for consumers.

Dr. Alan Knight

Alan Knight (The Virgin Group) highlighted that sustainability is a challenge facing all supply chains and raised the question for what's next for ecolabels and product stewardship. He poised the question of how many ecolabelling schemes do we need to solve the problems of the planet and recommended the need to coordinate these schemes.  He also emphasized the importance of ‘knowing your product’s story’ and that business and CSR needs to get to grips with that story.

Framing Seafood Sustainability

Squamish Nation Elder Audrey Rivers

A traditional blessing from Squamish Nation Elder Audrey Rivers provided an evocative and emotional opening to the 9^th International Seafood Summit.  She welcomed people from the ‘Four Directions’ noting the relationship between the traditional medicine wheel and characteristics of each direction--including foresight from the east and hindsight from the west.  She spoke of the importance of honoring the past, acknowledging the present, and looking to the future.

Vancouver Mayor Gregor Robertson shared his thoughts on sustainability, inspired in part by his own experiences sailing and fishing as a young man in the Vancouver area.  He welcomed participants and thanked summit organizers for choosing Vancouver noting that local restaurants and chefs have been leaders in putting sustainable seafood into practice.  It’s Dine Out week in Vancouver so there are plenty of reasons to get out and enjoy what Vancouver restaurants have to offer!

Yvon Chouinard, Henry Demone, Jim Cannon

A provocative keynote speech from Patagonia founder and “accidental businessman” CEO Yvon Chouinard challenged summit participants to think more deeply about what sustainability really means.  “With 7 billion people on the planet—this finite planet--I don’t believe there’s any economic activity that is truly sustainable.  We have to qualify that word ‘sustainable’ with ‘less’ or ‘more’ in front of it.”  He appealed to the seafood industry to ask deeper and deeper questions as he chronicled his own journey to create a responsible business.

The opening plenary session also featured a dialog in response to the question ‘How Far Can and Should the Sustainable Movement Go in Improving Fisheries Worldwide?’ Jim Cannon from the Sustainable Fisheries Partnership joined Yvon Chouinard and Henry Demone in the conversation facilitated by SeaWeb Vice President of Sustainable Markets, Melanie Siggs.

Afternoon sessions offered attendees a wide array of topics from which to choose. Chefs took center stage for a discussion entitled ‘Gatekeepers to Cuisine Consciousness—Chefs Explore Their Influence on, and Responsibility to, Sustainability. Vancouver-based Chef Robert Clark of C Restaurant—who is also a Seafood Champions finalist—talked about serving smaller portions and rotating menu items to account for seasonality as some ways to enhance sustainability. Chef Xavier DeShayes, Executive Chef of the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center noted the role of a chef is to teach—whether it be the kitchen staff, front of house staff or clients. 

Rainbow Creek Dancers

The day was rounded off with a lively reception for all 700 plus delegates who were treated to traditional dancing from the Rainbow Creek Dancers and a focus on the Pacific North Coast Integrated Management Initiative.

Tomorrow’s agenda is equally full—so stay tuned for more!

Seafood Summit: Day 1

As the day dawns in Vancouver, the snow-capped peaks surrounding English Bay provide a dramatic and inspiring backdrop to the start of the 9^th International Seafood Summit.  Nearly 700 attendees from more than 30 countries are gathering to address this year’s summit theme ‘Responsibility without Borders?’ 

Pre-meeting conversations on the topic have yielded many thoughts on the summit theme including the observation that fish and other marine species are simply not cognizant of the geographic borders that we humans tend to place so much stock in.  Examining responsibilities beyond the scope of traditional physical borders will be intriguing and thought-provoking and is sure to stimulate a great deal of dialog.

But the concept of borders doesn’t just refer to physical boundaries.  The summit theme also refers to responsibilities across sectors.  SeaWeb’s Seafood Summit brings together academics and government officials, business leaders and non-governmental organizations to help tackle the tough questions surrounding sustainability on the seafood supply chain.

Attendees are excited to be here and ready to tackle the challenges ahead!

Seafood Summit: Vancouver Island Shellfish Aquaculture Field Trip

The 2011 Seafood Summit kicked off early Saturday morning with 33 Summit attendees aboard a bus en route to Vancouver Island.  Despite the early hour, spirits were high as we embarked on an overnight adventure to learn about various shellfish farming operations on Vancouver Island. 

Pulling up nets with farmed scallops.

Leading the field trip were Bill Taylor, Bill Dewey and Jon Rowley of Taylor Shellfish Farms who run operations for Taylor Shellfish on Vancouver Island as well as in Seattle, Washington.  Aboard the ferry to Vancouver Island, Bill Dewey explained how ocean acidification is affecting the shellfish on their farms and how they’ve had to adapt to ensure longevity and sustainability of the shellfish, as well as their business. 

The idea of adapting to changing ocean chemistry was resonated by other shellfish farmers and fishermen we visited along the way, though ocean acidification isn’t the only thing they’re up against.  Land based runoff, natural predators and disease are also issues of daily concern when operating shellfish farms in the Pacific North West.

After lunch at Fanny Bay Inn, where legendary oyster burgers were served, and excursions to several shellfish farming facilities, attendees settled down for Q&A with folks from Taylor Shellfish and Canada's Department of Fisheries and Ocean.  There was great dialogue and lots of thought provoking questions among participants and everyone was very engaged in learning.

But there was also so fun to be had, and Bill, Bill & Jon had set up a lantern-lit wine and oyster tasting on the beach.  Attendees got to shuck fresh picked oysters and enjoy local wines and no one seemed to mind that it was very cold, very dark and their shoes and socks were soaked.  

The evening concluded with a trip to the brand new Vancouver Island University Marine Field Station – a facility designed with the surrounding environment in mind, including the ocean – and a delicious meal of fresh shellfish right out of the Bay prepared by Vancouver Island Culinary Institute students led by chef Xihn Dwelley of Xinh's Clam & Oyster House in Shelton, Washington.  The station is two weeks away from its public debut, but station manager, Brian Kingzett, made a special exception for Summit attendees so he could show off all the beautiful, eco-friendly new building, the great science research work they’re doing, and the delicious culinary expertise of the students. The Field Station will afford VI University marine science students the opportunity to conduct field research in Deep Bay and lab work in the lower level of the field station.  Some of the students were on hand to tell us about their research and explain the unique centerpieces at each table (shown above right).  Each flask held water and live shellfish from the bay and next to it was a flask with murky, algae-filled water.  The students advised us to pour the ‘dirty’ water into the larger shellfish-filled flask and watch them go to work.  By the end of the delectable meal the water was clear again – a creative demonstration of the important ecosystem services shellfish provide.

Special thanks to Bill Taylor, Bill Dewey, Jon Rowley, Brian Kingzett, Brian Yip and Philip Chou for making the field trip a very memorable one for participants.

We're looking forward to officially welcoming everyone to the Summit and getting everyone checked in at registration this afternoon.  More to come as we talk sustainable seafood at this year's Seafood Summit!

Will you be in Vancouver for the 2011 Seafood Summit?

We hope to see you at the upcoming ninth annual Seafood Summit: "Responsibility without Borders?," to be held in Vancouver, Canada, from January 31 to February 2, 2011.

The Seafood Summit brings together global representatives from the seafood industry and conservation community for in-depth discussions, presentations and networking with the goal of making the seafood marketplace environmentally, socially and economically sustainable.

In addition to the exciting presentations being given at the Summit— including from keynote speaker Patagonia's Yvon Chouinard—we will have two unique field trip opportunities, one before and another after the Summit.

Can't be there in person? Follow our SeaWeb in Action blog to keep you up-to-date about what's happening at the Summit!