The Conch Podcast features interviews
with the most inspiring people in the world of seafood.
Join Julie Kuchepatov,
founder of Seafood and Gender Equality (SAGE),
as she interviews people striving
to succeed in the sector, as well as those already making an impact,
and the challenges they face -
all while working to improve
the environmental and social responsibility
of the planet’s most incredible food source - seafood!
The cost of protein has increased by over 30% in the past five years, further exacerbating the unseen challenge of hunger—and seafood is often missing from the plates of underserved communities. By building relationships across the fishing industry, an organization called SeaShare works hard to get nutrient dense seafood to food-insecure people, families, and communities. Over the past 20 years, they have provided more than 200 million seafood servings to food banks across the country.
In this episode of The Conch podcast, we chat with Fiona Robinson, the Development Director of SeaShare. From her early start as a journalist covering the seafood beat to owning a retail fish store in Maine, Fiona has devoted a lifetime to the seafood industry and helping those in need.
Episode Guide
:00 Intro
01:06 In its early days, the organization SeaShare worked with the seafood industry to process bycatch, or incidental catch, to donate to food banks.
5:35 Fiona, a trained journalist, got her start reporting on the seafood industry at the now defunct Seafood Business Magazine (She even owned a fish market with her husband!).
10:04 The donation process: how SeaShare moves fish from boat to food bank.
15:06 The ups and downs of seafood donations (Covid both helped and hurt.)
17:25 Seafood is a critical source of nutrition for hunger relief.
22:18 Trends come and go in seafood. Fiona recalls when the term “sustainability” started to make the rounds in the industry and how it was received at the time.
25:39 What’s the best term to use when talking about sustainability in seafood? Should we say sustainable? Responsible? Ethical?
31:02 Women in the seafood industry have made some strides since Fiona first walked into a room full of blue suits.
35:26 Tips for those new to the industry: focus on building relationships because they will last a lifetime!
36:51 Fiona uplifts a former guest of The Conch, Linda Cornish.
37:51 How YOU can support SeaShare to get nutritious seafood to those in need.
Resources:
Just $5 provides 30 servings of seafood to people in need. Consider making a donation to SeaShare today.
Read more about SeaShare’s mission and impact at Seashare.org.
Recommend this episode to one person who is curious about how the seafood industry gives back to American communities in need.
The Conch Podcast is a program of Seafood and Gender Equality (SAGE).
Audio production, engineering, editing, mixing, and sound design by Crystal Sanders-Alvarado for Seaworthy.
Theme music: “Dilation” by Satan's Pilgrims
Funding generously provided by
