We had a really great couple of days with Rob Seitz and family in Astoria, OR. We were fortunate enough to sample some items that will be featured on the menu at their restaurant that’s slated to open in a week or so! Fish market just opened where they’ll be marketing the local catch from the area. It’s great to see fishermen and their families unlocking new direct marketing solutions!
Rob is a commercial fisherman and a fisher poet (see a video of one of his readings here including a poem that includes a reference to Northwest Atlantic Marine Alliance - thank you Rob!).
Our time with Rob was invaluable. Aside from feeling like we've adopted a new family member into the NAMA team, we learned so much from him and a few other fishermen we bumped into along the way. The struggle against the corporate takeover of fisheries - and companies that are controlling everything from the bait to the market - is real whether we are in Gloucester or Astoria or Sioux Falls (although the latter is not about seafood, but about landfood).
We have much work to do, people... can't leave the fight to take back our ocean commons and our seafood system to Rob and small and mid-scale fishermen and family farmers. We also had the pleasure of visiting their new fish store/restaurant South Bay Wild Fish House, a true family business bringing Rob and Tiffany's values to the seafood counter coupled with a restaurant. We were truly honored to be on the receiving end of their hospitality. And we got to test out a bunch of items on their menu - life is hard!!
As they say at South Bay Wild Fish House - “You are what you eat - wouldn’t you rather be wild?”