Based out of Santa Barbara, California, Salty Girl Seafood is a start-up company committed to the sustainability of both the ocean and small-scale fisheries. In a market flooded by malpractice and mislabeling, Salty Girl Seafood aims to take the guess work out of eating fish. The company acts as a middle-man between fishermen and consumers. By sourcing their fish exclusively from small-scale, responsible fisheries, Salty Girl Seafood brings peace of mind to those concerned about the sustainability of their seafood.
The company’s focus on traceability is what makes it unique. Consumers of Salty Girl Seafood are told how each fish was caught, where each fish was caught, and exactly what species of fish they are buying. Although originally marketed towards professional chefs, Salty Girl Seafood now offers a line of pre-marinated seafood for the everyday consumer, making it easier than ever for everyone to prepare and enjoy responsibly caught seafood.
“The future of responsible seafood comes down to the education of consumers, which I think is very much in motion,” says Salty Girl Seafood co-founder Norah Eddy, “We truly have the potential to change the world around us with our dollar. The more educated and aware people are about where their seafood (or meat, veggies, clothing, plastics, etc) comes from, the more inclined we are to make a decision that can ultimately support healthy and robust sources. There is a gap between the consumers desire to make the right decision, or at least an informed decision, and the availability of products on them market that enable them to do so.”
This is the gap that co-founders Norah Eddy and Laura Johnson are looking to fill. Both women earned their masters degree in Natural Marine Resource Management at the Bren School at UCSB. Eddy and Johnson were both working on their thesis, which looked at improving the lobster fishery in the Galapagos Islands. It was here that the two found inspiration, “the thought being that a company, teamed with conservation groups on the ground, can provide the necessary market-base incentive to tip the fishery toward more sustainable practices,” explains Eddy.
The mission statement of Salty Girl Seafood makes Eddy and Johnson’s passion clear: “To drive change in the seafood industry. To empower fishermen and promote stewardship of oceans. To improve access to sustainable, traceable seafood across the U.S.”
More information can be found on their website: http://www.saltygirlseafood.com/ and on their blog: http://www.saltygirlseafood.com/blog/
Written by: Emma Hayward, AGS on January 25, 2016