Slow Fish 201 Webinar 1
- Shared screen with speaker view
Taylor Witkin
01:09:40
Please feel free to post questions and comments in the group chat. Colles and the other hosts will curate your questions as we go along and pose the questions to the panelists
Kendall Dix
01:09:49
As we move into the next stage of the MSA reauthorization, what are some things we can ask for that will help further our mission? We have been playing defense for a while, but I think it's time to go big with our vision.
NiazDorry
01:13:39
Kendall: you are right. We have introduced some language changes for the MSA reauthorization process but they have been ignored. Part of our work now is to build power around those demands. You can see those demands signed by members of the Fish Locally Collaborative including many fishermen and ally organization. Note the 5 demands, including fish as food and transparency and accountability as two separate demands. Here’s the link to the document http://www.namanet.org/sites/default/files/documents/Congressmen%20Tierney%20and%20DeFazio%205%20Aug%2014.pdf
Corey Peet
01:15:34
How do we know that the business models of giant seafood companies is reconcilable with “fair food”
Kendall Dix
01:19:46
Anyone know the meeting ID number for people trying to call in?
NiazDorry
01:21:09
Here you go: 1 646 558 8656 or +1 669 900 6833
Kendall Dix
01:21:58
It asks for a meeting ID number when you call those numbers. I have a fisherman trying to call in who needs that number
Christine James
01:22:34
ID #: 773-219-448
maxcaruso
01:22:48
Hi Kelly; we see you not your screen :-)
Matthew Malele
01:22:56
Kelly, I don’t think you’ve shared your screen
Kendall Dix
01:23:31
Thanks.
michelemesmain
01:26:29
We need to have a conversation about methods that are respectful of the environment. I’m not sure it’s about methods per se, but more about how adapted these methods are to a specific environment…It’s a hard conversation but I think it’s time we dug deeper into it. We’re ready to do it I believe.
michelemesmain
01:28:10
Since it’s the core of Clean values
Kendall Dix
01:28:31
How can we convince the bigger enviro groups to get interested in the fight against offshore finfish aquaculture?
Jim’s iPhone
01:28:47
has there been an discussion regard use of geographic indicators for local
Jim’s iPhone
01:28:51
fish
collesstowell
01:29:05
Agreed Michele. It is time. And it must be adaptive to specific region as each region/estuary, fishery has it’s own environmental set of challenges.
Taylor Witkin
01:38:05
For Kenny: Having been through the process of developing relationships and personally ensuring that you know your fisherman, is there anything you could have done or could do in the future to streamline the process?
michelemesmain
01:40:01
Kenny, do you have people asking what you have instead of do you have? and if yes, is it a growing trend?
Andrea Margiotta
01:40:07
Kenny! This is so refreshing to hear! Thank you for the care you take in your product!
MBFT - Roger Burleigh
01:41:30
Great question Taylor Witkin…curious about this as well!
michelemesmain
01:41:50
does it need to scale? or ripple? :-)
Taylor Witkin
01:49:27
Kenny and Kendall, are you using technology and new digital tools to streamline the process? If so, what products/technology platforms do you use and how do you use them?
jorgedevicente
01:50:58
It sounds like the MSC certification is helping the folks of this Alaska cooperative selling in European markets as well as Whole Foods in the US. But does MSC really work at the local level? It seems that it does not.
jorgedevicente
01:51:53
I mean MSC vs. seafood supply chains at the local scale
NiazDorry
01:52:58
Kendall: we are beginning to see some shift in national groups’ positions on offshore aquaculture as shown by this press release from June and this letter signed by fishers, chefs, and seafood suppliers who need clean and healthy oceans to provide quality, nutritious seafood for our customers; tribal nations who hold the ocean ecosystem and its inhabitants as sacred; nonprofit organizations who fight to protect our environment; academics and researchers who study ocean health and conservation; and coastal communities and businesses who depend heavily on the ocean for our livelihoods and wellbeing to members of congress. Here are the links: http://foe.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/2018-5-29-OOA-Hill-Letter-1-1.pdf and press release is here http://www.namanet.org/sites/default/files/field_file/Oceans%20March%20Aquaculture%20Press%20Release%20June%202018%20final.pdf
michelemesmain
01:54:56
MSC’s credibility is under attack and I think there’s a window of opportunity, even in Europe, to bring in a new narrative of sustainability… the problem is how to make it visible. Retailers are asking for it, but since the whole sector is a minefield, they are very cautious
Ashford
01:55:16
Jorge: In my experience MSC works based on your market. It has a much stronger hold in Europe where those buyers do demand it. Domestic consumers care about sustainability but don't seem to have latched on to sustainabiliy certification as much as European markets.
Ashford
01:55:45
Michele: Well put.
NiazDorry
01:58:16
Corey: Good question. The answer from our perspective at NAMA is that giant seafood companies probably can’t reconcile with “fair food.” interesting question... I think the answer is it isn't. For example, we don't expect Tyson to start producing "fair chicken" - we want the values based businesses we work with to grow access to the markets companies like Tyson currently dominate. Part of the reason why this conversation is important to us is we believe having values-based seafood businesses are critical to taking market away from those whose models simply can’t achieve our values.
jorgedevicente
01:58:36
Has MSC developed social standards yet? Is it still missing that aspect of fairness?
Johnny Fishmonger
01:58:57
Monterey Bay Aquarium/Packard Foundation/Seafood Watch is having credibility problems also. They claimed funding shortfalls that led to relying on MSC’s offshoot ASC for all their Aquaculture Standards. Outsourcing to suspect trustworthy ASC.
Ashford
01:59:17
I think they are starting to develop that as they update their standard. I believe Seafood Watch is incorporating social fairness into their evaluation criteria as well.
Ashford
01:59:55
Johnny: That's good to know. I had not heard that.
jorgedevicente
02:01:54
How credible is MSC and other certifications? Has it just become a shortcut to sustainability for seafood retailers? Who’s pushing MSC to do better?
michelemesmain
02:02:35
Consumer dollar is not enough, you need citizen commitment as well….
Kendall Dix
02:03:33
All due respect, I don't think there's enough information out there for consumers to make the kind of choices we're talking about. I don't think they see the policy changes that have major impacts on their choices. I don't think they asked for farmed salmon. I see that as supply-side economics.
jorgedevicente
02:03:34
Completely agree with Michelle on citizens’ commitment!!
Tania Taranovski
02:03:34
From MSC, final public consultation open until Oct 15: https://improvements.msc.org/database/labour-requirements
tfitzgerald
02:03:47
Fair Trade USA now has a wild fisheries certification. The program has a social and environmental component: https://www.fairtradecertified.org/business/standards/capture-fisheries-standard
laurajohnson
02:03:59
If anyone would like to discuss the above questions on MSC, feel free to contact me after the webinar laura.johnson@msc.org
laurajohnson
02:04:29
Thank you for the link to labor inclusions to our standard. You can comment through Oct 15
Taylor Witkin
02:04:43
Michele: excellent point, though getting that committment from citizens 1 by 1 is hard. Institutions, like hospitals and universities, need to be and are being leaders, aggregating good decisions for their customers, students, and patients
jorgedevicente
02:05:06
MSC and Europe? Where in Europe? As far as I know, in Spain (where I am from) very few restaurants if any are promoting seafood sustainability linked to MSC.
Kelly Geiser
02:05:06
I agree Michele! it takes a strong local movement that hold value in their local environment.
Johnny Fishmonger
02:05:10
Kenny is right. I am working with so many Chef’s that are refusing to buy from seafood distributors anymore, tired of getting burned. These Chef’s will only buy direct from the Fisher/Boat now.
collesstowell
02:05:17
Consumer education is everything. 90% import figure is driven by habit, driven by price. We change views one conversation at a time. it’s slow work. I know this. But it’s critical.
Stacia Clinton
02:06:00
the recommendations have been helpful for individual or direct market sales like those to restaurants. How do you suggest large purchasers like institutions, military ect ensure they are purchasing well. For instance, what about an institution from a land locked state in the middle of the country.
cristal
02:06:49
On the topic of fairness & transparency - I'm curious about the process of coming up with the numbers. Kenny & Kendall: How do you set the specific payment amount for each fisherman for each unique fish caught? and how do you set a price for each fish when selling it? what percentage do you take as a middle man? What kind of efforts are made to keep the payments to the fisherman, price of the fish, and profit margin "fair"?
Corey Peet
02:06:57
Certifications are simply one tool to help work on a very complicated problem that currently covers about 14% of the global supply. We need more tools and more approaches that are inclusive of local stakeholders to unlock value in seafood that is currently not being realized by local stakeholders due to the commodity buying and selling
Gabe
02:07:05
Are there fishermen using the “agrotourism” model? This could be a strategy to connect people to their food and boost income for fishermen. Lots of hurdles, but food for thought
SBowman
02:10:23
Great question Stacia. There are many non-coastal chefs looking for these resources and relationships to buy their seafood but theyve been unable to find them.
michelemesmain
02:10:39
I believe we need to make complexity inspiring and challenging, but also accessible by looking at it on a bioregional scale. If people don’t understand the importance of the quality of the water, which comes from how their sewage is treated, how their land based food is grown and how it impacts the waterways, how much transportation, military, mining and energy activities, plus tourism and sports fisheries, small scale and industrial fisheries are impacting a specific body of water and environment, and how they are competing, i don’t think we’ll make much progress on the long term…
Fraud is a Crime
02:12:49
What can be done by this community to help prevent another horrific seafood fraud operation like Sea To Table from arriving on the scene and damaging the movement and destroying public trust? What can we do to protect whistleblowers like the ones that were silenced, ignored or fired from Sea To Table?
Johnny Fishmonger
02:12:59
MSC’s biggest detractor these days is their founder WWF. WWF has released/leaked some scathing reports on how MSC has gone off the rails and the bottom line is profit and cushy bureaucracy. This is the same problem/perception with the majority of seafood certification schemes, they exist for themselves and their largest industrial fish farmers and multinational retailers. Fishers and Chefs are small potatoes that just get in their way.
michelemesmain
02:14:13
Why scale one operation? Why not scale the number of operator functioning at a small or medium scale?
michelemesmain
02:15:13
which also allows for more voices to carry an alternative narrative and building relationships
michelemesmain
02:16:39
well said Brett
Gabe
02:17:02
Scale up values. Well said indeed
MBFT - Roger Burleigh
02:17:11
Amen!
jorgedevicente
02:17:50
Bravo, Brett ! Very well put.
Kendall Dix
02:18:45
I think it will be hard to scale up or eat more domestic fish without getting more money into the hands of more Americans. Fish is expensive and it should be, so in some way, we can only grow our consumer by redistributing wealth, right?
michelemesmain
02:20:28
I’m not sure how the forage fisheries is operating in the Staes. But with 40% of the world wild fisheries going into forage, I think we have ample margin to have more people eat fish, at affordable prices, as long as they are willing to eat the whole variety the sea can offer
Linda
02:21:32
Blockchain is a solution
jorgedevicente
02:22:12
Good point, Michelle. Chile is a good case in point. All garage going into farmed “chemical” salmon
jorgedevicente
02:22:20
all forage, I mean
JGonzalez
02:22:44
If we want to scale up domestic seafood production, we need to promote ALL US-caught seafood (rather than picking and choosing gear types). American fisheries are managed under the MSA, so American seafood is inhearintly sustainable.
Linda
02:23:17
more investment by states and regions in promoting local and sustainable american fish
Rasha Barbar
02:23:43
Listening in as a customer, first and foremost. Thank you all for what you do. (1) What are your thoughts/reactions to traceability/transparency almost always viewed from a "global" lens (not debating merits), and not considering the value of improving models *here.* (2) Do you feel recent advancements in traceability tech, including high profile pilots (blockchain, etc.), have occurred in a bubble and lack the perspective (yours!) necessary for broad-scale adoption?
michelemesmain
02:24:14
Colles can I say something?
michelemesmain
02:24:20
after Kelly I mean?
Kelly Geiser
02:24:43
for kenny, I think folks are willing to pay for it if they know what they’re paying for. Cheap farmed fish is wasteful to our wallets, energy, environment, and health.
Johnny Fishmonger
02:25:02
Same with Dungeness Crab. We are all gearing up and down the West Coast and China and Taiwan are driving the price. Almost the whole catch is exported. And now we have the crazy Trump trade wars to add to the crazy.
Linda
02:25:10
we need to rebuild local processing and get fish into local instututions distribution and acess to markets is a killer.
MBFT - Roger Burleigh
02:25:27
I’ve heard murmurs about exploring govt. subsidies for seafood? Almost every other agriculture product receives some sort of subsidy, but seafood is left out. Curious for this groups take on that. Or does will that exacerbate the problem?
Jim’s iPhone
02:27:41
agreed education is also critical. great discussion
Johnny Fishmonger
02:28:29
Building and expanding local small processing infrastructure and capacity is a Mt. Everest. Access to capital hurdles are overwhelming for development of ice machines, micro-processors and value-added facilities-smokehouses, drying, salting, canning.
Corey Peet
02:30:26
Couldn’t agree more with what Michele just said about supporting other communities beyond US borders. American consumers have created some of these problems in the first place and have a critical role to play in solving them. Simply abandoning them to other markets is in my view irresponsible.
MBFT - Roger Burleigh
02:31:47
What role can ‘frozen’ fish provide, in some way, to scale since it’s put into stable form and might reduce the cost issue. Culturally consumers and chefs favor fresh product and are leery of frozen product, but seems to be shifting?
Jim’s iPhone
02:31:51
we had long conversation on local in development of core values being able to connect to fisher was one of the keys to supporting local
MBFT - Roger Burleigh
02:32:28
And may solve the access piece for those who are non-coastal at the same time.
justin
02:32:32
Roger- I just wrote a blog on frozen fish (free registration req'd) http://plateonline.com/food/why-frozen-seafood-worth-second-look
MBFT - Roger Burleigh
02:32:48
Thanks Justin…I’ll check it out!
Linda
02:33:04
thank you everyone
Johnny Fishmonger
02:33:25
And practically every NGO and Foundation on the planet will try to shove some greedy Aquaculture projects down on Communities, instead of assisting on chilling, ice, cold storage, adding value, and distribution. That kind of work is too hard for most NGO’s and Foundations. Teaming up with Aquaculture Speculators is the easy way out that’s the bandwagon bandaid approach they all love now.
maxcaruso
02:34:10
Very informative. Thanks!
Marsh Skeele
02:34:39
Thank you panel! and Colles!
michelemesmain
02:34:44
Thanks to all for the energy. It helps keeps the motivation high!
Kenny Belov
02:35:07
Thanks everyone!
Brett Tolley
02:35:25
Ditto, thanks everyone!
Tania Taranovski
02:35:31
Excellent discussion and valuable presentations. Thanks!
Nacio’s iPhone (2)
02:35:46
Thanks, very informative!
Kelly Geiser
02:36:27
Thanks! Everyone!
cristal
02:36:41
Thank you so much for such thoughtful discussion, everyone!!
jorgedevicente
02:38:19
Thanks to all the panelists, organizers, and participants. Great webinar!!