More than 100 Attend Unveiling of Six-Week Sustainable Seafood Retail Promo in Collaboration With Riverence Provisions, Del Pacifico Seafoods and Kvarøy Arctic
SANTA MONICA, Calif. – It was Southern California’s hottest premier event since Avatar: The Way of Water. Last week, Santa Monica Seafood and the Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC) hosted more than 100 seafoodies for an evening-long celebration launching a 6-week summer retail promotion showcasing the benefits of certified, responsibly raised seafood and ASC’s sea green label.
ASC is a global nonprofit organization leading the world’s strictest standards for responsibly farmed seafood via its certification and labeling program. Santa Monica Seafood – a long-time partner of ASC with sourcing commitments rooted in sustainability – is the largest wholesale, seafood-only distributor in the Southwest, including renown Market and Café locations in Santa Monica and Costa Mesa, Calif.
Once doors closed on June 15 after a busy day of fresh food and fantastic fish at the iconic Santa Monica Market, the two organizations transformed the space (and the seafood case) to welcome an eager audience of media and social influencers, sustainability advocates, seafood industry members, and Santa Monica Seafood shoppers onto the retail-turned-reception floor.
As a DJ spun groovy tunes bringing seaside vibes to the air, Santa Monica Seafood and ASC officially unveiled details for their “Sea Green. Be Green.” promotion, which launched that evening and features Santa Monica Seafood devoting a full six weeks to promoting ASC-certified seafood products and the farms where the seafood was raised. Campaign partner brands are Riverence Provisions, Del Pacifico Seafoods and Kvarøy Arctic, whose leaders were also in attendance to share their stories during the night’s festivities.
Through July 27, Santa Monica Seafood’s markets will offer limited-time specials while its cafés will feature newly developed menu items highlighting the ASC-certified seafood of the week. The promotion aims to provide seafood lovers and the seafood curious with opportunities to taste for themselves, while learning more about the positive impacts of responsible aquaculture – including how their purchase can help make a difference.
Throughout the evening, Santa Monica Seafood’s expert culinary team provided a magical tasting experience, crafting a variety of ASC-certified dishes to guests that thoughtfully showcased participating seafood farms and unique flavor profiles. Creations included:
- Del Pacifico Shrimp Ceviche Aguachile
- Kvarøy Arctic Salmon Tartare
- Riverence Sautéed Steelhead Trout
- Del Pacifico Grilled Shrimp Skewers
- Kvarøy Arctic Glazed Salmon
- Riverence Pan Roasted Steelhead Trout
“This was a perfect night to bring the seafood industry together with some of our most valued and loyal customers for the ‘Sea Green. Be Green.’ experience,” said Roger O’Brien, President and CEO, Santa Monica Seafood. “And it was only day one! We’re excited for the 6 weeks to come, offering daily education and conversations around responsibly raised seafood and the meaning behind ASC’s certification and label. Our continued partnership builds on Santa Monica Seafood’s sustainability commitments. Bringing Riverence, Del Pacifico and Kvarøy to the forefront gives patrons a true taste of our highest quality promise.”
“There’s never been a retail campaign quite this intimate, but Santa Monica Seafood has gone above and beyond to bring the value of certified seafood to shoppers and seafood lovers across Southern California,” said Athena Davis, Marketing Manager, ASC North America. “June’s kick off celebration was just the start as we dive into a summer filled with fish-friendly options for the seafood savvy and newcomers, alike. By showcasing farmer stories, Santa Monica Seafood is helping tell a new aquaculture story, which is the spirit behind our ‘Sea Green. Be Green.’ campaign. Seafood can be complex, but the solution is simple. ASC’s certification is challenging to achieve, but our producer partners have risen to the occasion and we could not be more excited to see these responsibly raised products reaching new customers.”
About the Aquaculture Stewardship Council
Since 2010, ASC has been creating and enforcing the world’s strictest standards in the industry for:
- Protecting the environment, workers and communities.
- Ensuring supply chain integrity from the farm to the store.
- Providing the most comprehensive transparency through public disclosure.
ASC’s sea green label only appears on seafood from farms that have been independently assessed and certified as environmentally and socially responsible. ASC’s sea green certification label is the best way to ensure the seafood you’re buying is what it claims to be. For more information, visit us.asc-aqua.org/.
About Santa Monica Seafood
Santa Monica Seafood, an 84-year-old privately-owned company, is the largest specialty wholesale distributor and processor of fresh and frozen seafood in the Southwestern and Midwestern U.S. with approximately 300,000 SF of facilities in 15 locations across the United States. It was the first and still the only seafood company in the United States to achieve FSSC 22000 certification for food safety management systems and ISO 14001 certification for environmental management programs. Santa Monica Seafood further reinforces its commitment to quality and sustainability by offering a variety of ASC- and MSC-certified products.
