A big part of meetings and events is the food. And, fish and shellfish have always been a popular menu item, whether served as an exotic appetizer or as a “healthy” main.
But over-fishing of certain fish stocks combined with environmental damage done by human activity have left many seafood species endangered or on the brink of extinction.
That’s why it’s important to research the status of various types of fish and shellfish before including them on your menu. You want to ensure that you are making good choices for your client and not jeopardizing the health or function of the life in our oceans.
Luckily, there are organizations that can help you with your research or point you towards suppliers that are committed to serving or providing sustainable, ocean-friendly seafood.
In Canada, Ocean Wise has partnered with over 800 hotels, restaurants, food suppliers and caterers who serve or provide sustainable seafood. In order to join the Ocean Wise program, partners are required to remove or replace one unsustainable item on their menu and to highlight the sustainable options with the Ocean Wise logo. Partners must commit to remove or replace unsustainable items at a suggested rate of 1 item every 6 months until they have a completely ‘clean’ menu.
Seafood Watch, a program of the Monterey Bay Aquarium, has close to 200 partners across North America, including the two largest food service companies in the U.S. Like OceanWise, it has a restaurant program where partner members pledge to not serve items from the Seafood Watch “Avoid” list. You can refer to their list of partners when looking for a venue near you.
When dealing with a caterer or supplier that is not part of a recognized program, you can still double-check their menu suggestions by visiting The David Suzuki Foundation Website and referencing its “Top 10 Sustainable Seafood Picks”.
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The hospitality industry as a whole could be the tipping point for the planet to become sustainable. Serving sustainable seafood is one way we can make a difference. If we also educate our attendees about the importance of purchasing sustainable seafood, they will ask for it in the stores. This will provide impetus for grocery chains to stock sustainable seafood. At my local Target, the y have sections in the freezer marked Sustainably Caught Seafood and Sustainably Farmed Seafood.
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