The Culture of Aquaculture
Not all fish farms are created equal: how to tell if your seafood is sustainably grown
Aqua Tourism: Exploring Sustainable Seafood
A week of exploring and enjoying sustainable seafood on Vancouver Island.
I was fortunate this week to attend two very different events, in two very different settings, but both focused on bringing awareness to the research, production, and preparation of what we know as Sustainable Seafood here on Vancouver Island.
Let's Talk Seafood and Eat it Too
VIU's Centre for Seafood Innovation, operating out of the Deep Bay Marine Field Station just North of Qualicum Bay, holds a monthly lunch and learn of sorts, titled 'Let's Talk Seafood and Eat it Too". I was invited to attend this week's presentation by graduate student Sarah Foulkes on the potential for local seaweed aquaculture, barriers to the industry, and how community planners can set this industry up for success.
If you haven't had a chance to visit this incredible facility yet, these lunches are the perfect opportunity to combine lunch, learning and a tour. Featuring kelp and seaweed products supplied by Sea Forest, a local Kelp Farming Company, Sweetpea Provisions prepared sushi and a beautiful Udon noodle soup for us while we learned about multi-trophic aquaculture. You can learn more about the centre and future event dates on their website.
Supporting Ocean Wise
On the other side of the Island, Chef Shaun Snelling of Long Beach Lodge and Chef Ned Bell of Naramata Inn, prepared an extravagant 5-course seafood dinner on Saturday, February 26th, in support of Ocean Wise. Educational, entertaining and delicious, we were introduced to new flavour combinations (kelp caramel is amazing) and challenged to prepare sustainable seafood at home every week.
Our menu featured Bella Bubbles from Bella Wines in Naramata, Pacific Scallop Crudo, Crispy Outlandish Oysters, Arctic Char raised at Road 17 in Oliver, Spot Prawn & Sunchoke Ravioli, Smoked Sablefish and a Goat Cheese Cheesecake with Kelp Caramel. Incredible.
Bell suggests that one simple change we can make as consumers is to ensure that the species of seafood we buy is Ocean Wise certified. He challenges us to his 52 and 12 Challenge: eat sustainable seafood once a week for the next year, and try something from the ocean every month that we haven't tried before. I am up for the challenge!
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