News  Promoting Massachusetts Seafood

DMF’s Seafood Marketing Program seeks to increase consumer awareness and preference for local seafood products. The program supports the state’s commercial fishing and seafood industries and communities. Its programming is supported in large part by revenue collected from the issuance of commercial fisherman and seafood dealer permits.

A few highlights of the program’s activities so far this year include:

• The Seafood Marketing Program coordinated a Massachusetts Seafood Pavilion at the New England Restaurant & Bar Show in February. More than a half dozen seafood businesses were featured, and DMF staff provided seafood marketing materials and answered questions at the Program’s booth at the event. 
• A half dozen seafood businesses made up Mass Ave at the Seafood Expo North America. As in previous years, this cluster of businesses from the Commonwealth is promoted by the Seafood Marketing Program and received a 50% cost-share for the show via the MA Dept. of Agricultural Resources (MDAR) and the US Dept. of Agriculture. MA Dept. of Fish and Game Commissioner Tom O’Shea and MDAR Commissioner Ashley Randle visited with those businesses and other Massachusetts businesses scattered throughout the show in March.
• The Seafood Marketing Program was a sponsor of the Massachusetts Farm & Sea to School Conference in late March. This 7th annual event centered on issues of climate change and community leadership in the farm and sea to school movement. Participants learned new tools and developed new connections to expand food education and local food in school meals.