I am writing this on the last day of Seafood Expo North America (formerly known as the Boston International Seafood Show). This is my third time in 11 years to the show, and every year things are slightly different. This year, I am pleasantly surprised at the product offerings, which seem to focus a lot more on the flavor of the fishery products, and less on the sauces, breading, etc. In prior years I have been disappointed at the overwhelming amount of fried seafood products, which are a thinly veiled way to cover up or disguise poor quality seafood.
The amount of greenwashing seems to be about the same, but it appears that the sophistication of those who have more valid claims of environmental sustainability is highlighted. There was a very engaging booth selling baramundi, a farmed saltwater species, and I was frankly somewhat impressed at how they addressed issues such as water quality, control of pests and other detrimental environmental impacts of farmed fish. And, the sample actually looked and tasted like fish, not some weird fried thing. The amount of raw product or barely cooked product seemed to be a growing trend, with many different types of sushi, seared seafood, and other things that were available.
The processing equipment and supplies were where I had the most fun. If only I had about $1 million to go on a shopping spree with! They had some very nice, scaled back equipment that could be easily adapted to a smaller operation such as our family-owned fish processing plant, Naknek Family Fisheries.
Thats neat that some fish farming companies are showing a commitment to protecting the environment 🙂