- Division of Marine Fisheries
DMF’s Seafood Marketing Program aims to increase consumer demand and preference for local seafood products and support local fisheries through education and awareness. Part of the program’s role is to attend local seafood, food, and outreach shows and conferences to share resources on local seafood, learn from industry members, and grow DMF’s network of fishermen, seafood dealers, restaurants, educators, and more!
Seafood Promotional Events
The Seafood Marketing Program has attended several seafood promotional events so far this year!
Local Food Trade Show. The Sustainable Business Network’s 2025 Local Food Trade Show took place on January 28, 2025, at Russell’s Garden Center in Wayland, MA, featuring nearly 100 local food exhibitors. The event connected wholesale buyers with New England-based farmers and food producers, and several seafood industry members were also in attendance. This event was a great opportunity for DMF to connect with industry members during networking sessions and learn more about building a resilient local food economy. Seafood Expo North America. Seven seafood businesses made up Mass. Ave. at
Seafood Expo North 2025. These local Commonwealth businesses are promoted by DMF’s Seafood Marketing Program and received 50% cost-share for the show via MA Dept. Of Agricultural Resource (MDAR) and the US Dept. of Agriculture. MA Dept. of Fish and Game (DFG) Commissioner Tom O’Shea, Deputy Commissioner Sefatia Romeo-Theken and MDAR Commissioner Ashley Randle visited with those businesses and other Massachusetts businesses scattered throughout the show in March. A DMF grant-supported project by St. Ours was a finalist in the New Product Showcase using invasive green crabs for seafood broth.
New England Restaurant and Bar Show. More than a half dozen seafood businesses attended the New England Restaurant & Bar Show as part of the Massachusetts Seafood Pavilion March 30–31, 2025, at the Boston Convention & Exhibition Center. Over 300 exhibitors showcased the latest products, services, and technologies, and alongside local seafood businesses, DMF helped promote local seafood and connect industry members.
MA Library Association Conference. The Seafood Marketing Program attended this conference for the first time, May 30-31 at the Sea Crest Hotel in Falmouth. Libraries are a hub for all-ages education and DMF wanted to inform librarians of the resources available on our website as well as our printed educational material and programming opportunities. Librarians were very interested in speakers from DMF for both in-person and on-line programming.
DMF’s Marine Quest. The Seafood Marketing Program was able to offer seafood sampling of over 100 pounds of Jonah crab at DMF’s first Marine Quest Festival using recently earned certifications. The sampling was a huge success!
New Video Content
The Seafood Marketing Program is busy creating video content. We filmed fifteen cooking videos starring Laura Foley Ramsden, a fourth-generation fish mongress with nearly 40 years of experience in the seafood industry, who generously donated her time. Seven of these videos feature local flatfish species as we continue to promote these species, including the pan seared sole recipe below. We are filming four story-telling mini-documentaries with fishermen as well. All videos will be posted on our social media with media partners during 2025.
By Wendy Wills, Seafood Marketing Program Coordinator
