November 4, 2024 - In September, Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC) hosted eight retail seafood buyers and North American journalists Greece for a four-day bespoke, immersive tour of Mediterranean aquaculture.
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| Participants visit the farming pens at the Galaxidi farm in Greece |
During the Discovery Tour, which traversed the stunning Peloponnese area of mainland Greece, seafood buyers and reporters had the unique opportunity to visit farms to see for themselves the story behind ASC certified farms.
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The experience of getting out on boats and up close to sea pens and speaking directly to the farmers saw many guests change their perceptions of farmed seafood. It also illustrated the high standards that ASC farms operate to.
ASC conducted the tour in collaboration with the Hellenic Aquaculture Producers Organisation (HAPO), which represents the Greek farmed seafood industry.
Tour stops included visits to seabass and seabream farms operated by Avramar and Galaxidi Marine Farm - the oldest farm in Greece - with both demonstrating ASC standards in action and showcasing responsible seafood farming practices from hatchery to harvest.
Tour guests also enjoyed a unique tour around Avramar's R&D facility in Managouli Fokida, where leaders provided a presentation of their commitment to responsible aquaculture and how the company is continually working to drive improvement through science and technology.
Along the way, guests were treated to farm to fork freshness, enjoying ASC certified Avramar and Galaxidi fish at culinary destinations throughout the countryside.
First ASC Discovery Tour including jounralists
Tour guests included seafood buyers from retailers Wild Fork Foods, Migros Group and New England Seafood International as well as journalists representing some of the most widely read and viewed food and lifestyle media outlets in North America. While ASC conducts several Discovery Tours annually, this marked the first time food journalists joined the tour.
"Mission accomplished. There's a lot I didn't know about farmed seafood and how to tell which are a hard pass versus green-light choices," one attending journalist noted. "I guess like everything out there, not all seafood choices are created equal."
Abbie Murdock, Product Developer - Seafood, Wild Fork Foods said, "Being able to see and hear the differences in farm standards was my first big takeaway.
"To have ASC folks next to me describing the feed required, explaining their take on antibiotics and seeing the actual due diligence they require in real time spoke so much to me. I was able to visualise their purpose. Without purpose, what's the point?
"The ability to interact directly with farmers made it all worthwhile," Murdock added. "Without them, without their ambition to make aquaculture better, we'd have nothing. Shaking the hands of farmers and hearing their plans for the future spoke volumes."
Behind the scenes on land and sea
Tour highlights included:
- A day at Galaxidi Marine Farm near Galaxidi for an in-depth tour of their hatchery, pens and packing facilities.
- A sunset boat ride to Avramar nets on the island Pontikos.
- An interactive cooking workshop with head chef Pavlos Sfikakis and the Farm From Greece Cooking Academy, hosted and organised by HAPO in Athens.
Future Discovery Tour plans underway
Several ASC Discovery Tours are held each year and offer retailers unrivalled and unique access and in-depth insights into aquaculture producer regions. Tours also give producers the opportunity to connect with the global market and showcase their continuing commitment to responsible aquaculture. If you are a buyer or producer who would like to participate in the future, please contact ASC Global Lead Producer Outreach Marcos Moya at Marcos.moya@asc-aqua.org for more information.
The Aquaculturists
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