It was a convergence of great minds from the seafood industry that met in Vancouver Washington for the 2014 Wild Seafood Exchange.
Peter Roscoe of Fulios Pastaria visiting with C S Fishery
A number of chef/owners were present and shared their thoughts about sourcing local and sustainable seafood here in our city and state. The three chef/owners that were panelists included Peter Roscoe From Fulios Pastaria in Astoria, Cathy Whims from Nostrana / Oven and Shaker and Lisa Schroeder of Mothers Bistro.
Cathy Whims of Nostrana and Shaker and Oven with Nellie M. of Tribal Fisheries
Although we live and work within a hundred miles of the Pacific Ocean, all of the chefs shared the same frustration at the difficulty of sourcing locally caught fish and seafood for their establishments.
Mother's Bistro Lisa Schroeder and Jeff Wong of C S Fishery
Even chef/owner Peter Roscoe, who runs Fulio's Pastaria restaurant which is only a few blocks from the Astoria waterfront, has difficulty finding fresh, local seafood.
Most fish and seafood is consolidated and shipped to central processing and distribution points relying on volume and economies of scale to justify the added transport and handling.
What this means for restaurant owners and seafood consumers is that even when you are on the coast, most seafood products are trucked inland, processed and then delivered back to the coast. It was also an eye opener for both panelists and audience members to learn that some Oregon Albacore Tuna is caught, frozen, shipped to China, cut and processed, then shipped back to the US for distribution.
What we learned is that we are doing something right and that buying your seafood products from CS Fishery is one of the few ways that restaurateurs and consumers alike can be assured of sourcing quality, locally sourced seafood products.