Seafood, sustainability and celebration in D.C.

For the 50th annual NOAA Sustainable Seafood Celebration this month, Alaska Sea Grant’s Chris Sannito and Rachel French traveled from Kodiak to the nation’s capitol to represent Alaska, preparing and serving a variety of locally harvested seafoods. The event was an opportunity to educate federal lawmakers and others about the quality and sustainability of Alaska fisheries and seafood.

“Once we started cooking, a long line formed around our booth that didn’t end all night,” said Sannito, Alaska Sea Grant’s seafood technology specialist.

The Alaska menu featured halibut nuggets, Pacific cod, rockfish, and candied smoked sockeye salmon. Also served was a sugar kelp salad, a dish that quickly became a conversation starter.

“It was amazing to share local Alaskan seafood with people from around the country, especially the kelp. We got a lot of comments from people who said they had never tried kelp before. It opened up conversations about the mariculture industry in Alaska, which was exciting to see,” French reflected. French is an Alaska Sea Grant State Fellow.

The sugar kelp was grown and harvested in Kodiak, one of Alaska’s leading mariculture hubs. As French and Sannito served guests, they shared information about Alaska’s nascent seaweed industry and how mariculture is helping diversify coastal economies while contributing to global food systems.

The event, formerly known as NOAA Fish Fry, was held in the Department of Commerce’s Herbert C. Hoover Building. What began in 1975 as a small cookout following a Chesapeake Bay fishing trip with NOAA employees and Congressional staff has since grown into an annual gathering that attracts more than 1,000 guests, including agency heads, Congressional representatives, seafood industry leaders, and members of the public.

“Events like this are important for putting a face to Alaska’s fisheries,” said Sannito. “People may be familiar with Alaska seafood in a general sense, but when they get to taste it fresh and talk to someone from the community where it was caught or grown, it makes a real impact.”

The event is designed to highlight the importance of American sustainable seafood through sharing of food prepared by regional chefs, and through conversations with the people who support U.S. fisheries. It also celebrates the broad network of researchers, managers, fishers and educators working to ensure that the seafood we eat is sustainably harvested or grown, provides thousands of jobs, and supports thriving coastal communities.

By the end of the night, Alaska’s booth had served hundreds of guests and sparked meaningful conversations about sustainable seafood, environmental resilience, and the innovation happening in Alaska’s working waterfronts.

Alaska Sea Grant plans to continue to be part of this annual event to share the story of Alaska’s fisheries and the people who depend on them on a national stage.