Seafood In The News
Seafood in the News
By Richard Stavis
Last month I stated that fishmongers should band together to promote seafood. Since then, seafood has been in the news consistently, but the news has been focused on crises rather than the positive benefits of eating seafood. I’ve been called by local papers and radio stations to provide an expert opinion from the seafood industry on the impact of these various crises. First it was volcanic ash, then, the water main break in Boston, and finally, the attention settled on the Gulf oil spill. I am always happy to speak for the seafood industry in an effort to get the truth across. This said I’m somewhat uncomfortable with the idea that these “crisis” stories are becoming bigger than they should be and that they might start to define seafood. If all of the media attention is crisis related, will the public get the idea that seafood in general is in crisis?
I’m not naïve- I understand the appetite of the public for news about the disaster du jour. I’ve been there scanning the internet trying to find out more about a situation, whether serious or trivial (I admit it- I followed the Jay/Conan debacle). The media looks to meet the demand for content and it widens its net. From some angles the situation can then seem larger than it is. Is that what I am doing? Am I helping feed the flame?
I’ve done my best to provide the public with the relevant information they need. When talking about the volcanic ash, for example, I brought up the disruption in supply to the market of European Atlantic Salmon. I also made it clear that while the price of Salmon was rising, the increase was not solely due to the ash, and buyers would still have ample supply to purchase from. When asked about the water quality problem, I shared the steps that Stavis took to ensure that all fish going out the door was safe. When discussing the gulf oil spill, I highlighted the 2 seafood items that we source from the gulf, Oysters and Shrimp, but also confirmed that we would continue to have product to sell. I hope all of these comments were helpful to consumers and did not overemphasize the impact of these issues.
Maybe the best thing to do is to balance the scales. More and more specie are being certified as sustainable. Countries, processors, and individuals are making great strides every day improving the quality and the safety of the seafood that is getting to your table. Seafood is saving lives every day by improving the health of its consumers. Let’s focus on “good news” seafood stories.