 |
 |
     |
 |
|---|---|---|---|
|
|||
      |
|||
|
|
Frequently Asked QuestionsGeneral:
Seafood Champion Awards:
Seafood Summit:
What is Seafood Choices Alliance?Seafood Choices Alliance is a global non-profit association that unites a growing number of leading voices from the seafood industry, enabling them to expand seafood choices they offer while ensuring a healthy ocean. Our vision is a world where the seafood industry – from fishermen and fish farmers to distributors, wholesalers, retailers and restaurants – joins with consumers to transform the seafood marketplace into a more environmentally sustainable one. The Alliance mobilizes and leverages the world’s leading voices from the seafood and restaurant industries, conservation organizations, and academic institutions in support of a sustainable supply of seafood choices. By bringing together these leaders, Seafood Choices Alliance enables them to advance actions that reflect a shared concern for the long-term supply of seafood and the long-term health of the ocean. Why is this effort needed?The ocean is in crisis, and regulation of the fishing industry has failed to protect our resources. More than 70 percent of the world’s fisheries are already fully exploited or severely depleted. At the same time, demand for seafood is increasing. Aquaculture holds great promise for the future, but certain practices pose their own problems – for instance, a single salmon farm may produce as much fecal waste as a city of 62,000 people. Seafood Choices is helping the seafood industry to meet this demand and ensure a lasting supply of seafood for the future. Who founded the Alliance?Seafood Choices was created in 2001 by SeaWeb, a nonprofit organization, working in collaboration with chefs, wholesalers, retailers and fishermen who shared a concern for ensuring a healthy ocean and a stable supply of seafood. Founding members include:
In 2005, the Alliance epanded its reach with the launch of its European programme. Seafood Choices now operates offices in the United States, France, and the United Kingdom with activities that focus on the North American and European markets. How does someone qualify as a member?Seafood Choices is open to anyone with a stake in the seafood industry and an interest in making environmentally responsible seafood a winning proposition. Members are not asked to be activists, but are instead encouraged to consider key issues when deciding what seafood selections to market. For example, members are asked to consider the impacts of their choices when deciding what seafood selections to market, and to promote the most eco-friendly options when possible. Members are expected to adhere to the Alliance’s Statement of Principles. What are the benefits of Alliance membership?Alliance members are knowledgeable about the issues related to sourcing ocean-friendly seafood and therefore better able to meet their customers’ needs. The Alliance connects its individual members with more than 2,500 other buyers/sellers. Members receive the bimonthly Afishianado™ newsletter detailing trends in sustainable seafood and their implications for your business, current news, and the real-life experiences of other members. Members also receive supplemental publications and Member Bulletin email news service. Additionally, members have access to Sourcing Seafood: A Professional’s Guide to Procuring Ocean-friendly Fish and Shellfish, networking opportunities, special events and promotional opportunities, such as the annual Seafood Summit. What is the cost of membership?Membership in Seafood Choices is currently free and open to all seafood and conservation professionals interested in learning more about the environmental issues surrounding seafood. What is a "Preferred" Supplier?The “Preferred” designation identifies those businesses in Sourcing Seafood: A Professional's Guide to Procuring Ocean-friendly Fish and Shellfish (and Smart Choices page online edition) that attest to making sustainability a central part of their operations. “Preferred” suppliers are those distributors or primary producers who only offer ocean-friendly species, e.g. those included as Smart Choices. These suppliers have attested to not selling or distributing any species that appears in the “red/avoid” list (indicating significant ecological impact associated with its catch or production) of our Conservation Members. What type of seafood should consumers choose?Seafood Choices Alliance aims to provide its members, and by extension the public, with the most up-to-date information, both directly through our web site and publications, and indirectly through links to conservation programs in the U.S. and Europe (such as Blue Ocean Institute, Environmental Defense, the Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch, and the Marine Conservation Society). For a list of great seafood choices, and where to purchase them, please click here. Why do I see only some seafood species listed in the Smart Choices or Find Supplier pages?The species listed in our Smart Choices pages are those species included in the most recent hard copy edition (or subsequent revised online edition) of Sourcing Seafood: A Professional's Guide to Procuring Ocean-friendly Fish and Shellfish. Only included are those species determined by the Monterey Bay Aquarium, Environmental Defense, and Blue Ocean Institute to have few if any ecological impacts associated with their catch or production; these fish and shellfish are selected based on the most recent research available. Species listed as choices to avoid by these and other conservation groups are not included in Smart Choices. Overview pages for popular choices that include several species: Coming soon! In 2008 the Alliance will publish U.K. and French-speaking Europe editions based on our popular Sourcing Seafood buyer's guide with information on sustainable fish and shellfsh species relevant to these European markets. There is a lot of attention on contaminants in seafood. What seafood is safe to eat?Properly handling and preparing seafood are precautions that consumers, suppliers, retailers, and restauranteurs alike can take to ensure the safety of seafood. Much of the attention surrounding seafood and human health, however, has to do with toxic contaminants – most notably methylmercury and PCBs – present in certain seafoods before they enter the supply chain. These contaminants, largely produced through human activities, make their way into our rivers, lakes, and ocean, eventually finding their way into fish and other marine life. How much of these toxins accumulates in the human body, and the risks posed by this accumulation, greatly depends on the gender and age of the person consuming seafood, what types of seafood he/she consumes and the frequency of consumption. The most at-risk groups are young children, pregnant or nursing women, and persons with compromised immune systems. The good news is that there are healthy choices, such as wild Pacific salmon, Alaska pollock, farmed rainbow trout, and bay scallops. Species that are lower on the food chain – such as sardines and oysters – contain lower levels of contaminants than do predatory species like bluefin tuna, swordfish and sharks. For further reading, please visit our Seafood and Health page, or click here to view additional links. What are the Seafood Champion Awards?The Seafood Champion Awards annually recognize individuals and companies for outstanding leadership in promoting environmentally responsible seafood. Seafood Choices Alliance established this first-of-its-kind award to honor those in the seafood industry whose past and/or present contributions demonstrate a commitment to advancing the marketplace for ocean-friendly seafood. Visit our Seafood Champions to learn more about the awards, past Seafood Champions, and the nominations process. Who can be considered for a Seafood Champion Award?Seafood Choices encourages any person or entity that handles seafood at some stage in the supply chain, or whose work supports those who do, to submit a nomination – keeping in mind the purpose of the awards is to recognize leadership in advancing an environmentally sustainable marketplace. Nominees may include individuals, companies or organizations from the fishing, aquaculture, seafood supply and distribution, retail, restaurant and foodservice sectors, as well as related fields particularly conservation, academia and the media. Recipients of a previous Seafood Champion Award may not be considered for a subsequent award within five years of receiving the award. In addition, past recipients must show demonstrable progress in further advancing seafood sustainability goals. Finalists or nominees from a past year may be considered anew for the current year. How are Seafood Champion Award recipients selected?Nominations for Seafod Champion Awards are open to the above-mentioned individuals and businesses, and applications should be submitted directly to the Alilance for consideration. After the deadline for submissions, all nominations received are judged by a selection committee comprised of the Alliance staff and up to five independent reviewers. Nominees are informed of their nomination in order to have the opportunity to provide additional supporting material. Seafood Choices Alliance makes the final determination of each year's finalists and award recipients based on this review process. All information submitted and collected as part of the nomination process remains confidential – the Alliance does not distribute or share this information in any way beyond the selection committee mentioned above. How do I submit a nomination for the Seafood Champion Awards?Nominations should be accompanied by a detailed written description (no more than two pages) of the accomplishments of the nominee and explaining why those accomplishments merit a Seafood Champion Award. Please click on the link below to read th complete Guidelines for Submissions. Nominations may be submitted via email (preferred), fax or standard mail. What is the Seafood Summit?The Seafood Summit is a signature programme of the Alliance – it is the only annual conference that brings together the global leaders from the seafood industry and conservation community. While many trade shows offer companies networking opportunities to showcase their products and services, Seafood Summit is the only venue to connect large and small companies from a diverse array of industries with leaders from the conservation community to bridge the gap between the latest science and the reality of the seafood marketplace. Where and when is the next Seafood Summit?Seafood Summit 2008 "Global Challenges, Local Solutions" will be held January 27-29 in Barcelona, Spain. This is the first such conference in Europe. Plus d'information > How do I register to attend the Seafood Summit?Online registration for the Seafood Summit 2008 in Barcelona will be available soon. In the meantime, you may visit the official site to learn more about our first conference in Europe. Or visit our Newsroom to view a comprehensive list of other industry and sustainable seafood events around the world.
|
© 2006 Seafood Choices Alliance