2022 Local Seafood Summit
Building the future of local and regional seafood systems
Girdwood, Alaska | October 2-3, 2022
About the Summit
The 4th Local Seafood Summit is a practitioner-centric convening for all those who are working to strengthen community-based seafood systems at the local, regional, and national scales. The summit is designed to foster new connections, facilitate knowledge exchange, and create space for strategic dialog about the tools, services, research, and policies needed to elevate the role of seafood in food systems and support resilient and vibrant coastal communities. Seafood harvesters, entrepreneurs, researchers, decision-makers, and community change-agents are welcome.
Goals
(1) Facilitate knowledge exchange and peer-to-peer learning;
(2) Foster networking opportunities for those engaged in community-based seafood systems;
(3) Elevate key and emerging issues and opportunities to catalyze local and regional seafood systems;
(4) Strengthen the local seafood sector through technical assistance and training opportunities













Registration
Registration is full! Please contact Jordan Richardson with questions (jordan.richardson@maine.edu).
2022 Summit Details
The Local Seafood Summit will be held at the Alyeska Resort in Girdwood, AK on Oct 2-3, 2022. Alyeska is nestled along the Chugach Mountains with scenic panoramic views and access to the Alaskan wilderness.
Venue address: 1000 Arlberg Ave, Girdwood, AK 99587
Alyeska Resort is located 40 miles south of Anchorage along the scenic Seward Highway in the town of Girdwood, Alaska. Anchorage is serviced by Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport, with direct flights from Seattle, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Salt Lake City and more.
Book your flight through the Alaska Airlines website and utilize the 7% off discount code: ECMD978
There are multiple ways to get to Alyeska Resort including;
- Limited shuttle service to and from the Airport. Dates and times for shuttle transportation are:
- Saturday, October 1
Times of Departure from Ted Stevens Airport to Alyeska Resort
12pm | 3pm | 6pm - Tuesday, October 4
Times of Departure from Alyeska Resort to Ted Stevens Airport
6am | 9am | 12pm
- Saturday, October 1
- Car rentals
- Rideshares (Uber/Lyft). Estimated cost is $100+ one-way.
- Alyeska Resort can arrange a taxi and/or car service. Contact the concierge to make arrangements 24 hours in advance at guestservices@alyeskaresort.com. Rates start at $125 one-way.
Once you are in Girdwood there are numerous ways to get around town including walking, rental bikes or cars, and the Glacier Valley Transit, which is free to resort guests.
Interested in off setting your travel? Alaska Airlines has partnered with Carbonfund.org to help individuals calculate and off set their air travel. Clear, a Certified B Corps organization, also offers options to off set carbon associated with travel.
Alyeska Resort has blocked rooms for summit attendees at a rate of $159/night (+ taxes and $20 resort fee/night). The hotel will reserve the block of rooms until 09-01-2022. Summit guest room rates will apply three (3) days prior and three (3) days following the scheduled event date. Attendees must identify themselves as being part of the Local Catch Seafood Summit to ensure the special event rate. Guests may call Room Reservations to make individual reservations at 907-754-2111 or 800-880-3880, or reserve rooms online using the group code “Catch2022”. Full prepayment of the stay is required at the time of reservation.
Ski Inn is a boutique bed and breakfast inn located in downtown Girdwood with seven private rooms ranging from $89-$175/night (+ taxes). The Inn is located 2 miles from the summit venue. Reservations can be made on the Ski Inn website.
Alyeska Hostel has a limited number of shared and private rooms ranging from $25-$112/person (+ taxes). The hostel is located 2 miles from the summit venue. Contact the hostel directly to make a reservation– be sure to mention that you are attending the Local Seafood Summit.
Other lodging options include local vacation rentals, VRBO, and AirBnB.
An Eyak Athabaskan Native of the Eagle Clan, Dune grew up in Cordova, in southcentral Alaska. Born into a fishing family, his life education as a subsistence and commercial fisherman began at age five. He later earned a living as a fishery and processing consultant and commercial fisherman after high school. The Exxon Valdez oil spill in 1989 transformed Dune into a social change activist and Native Rights leader. He has founded and co-founded several key organizations, including the Eyak Preservation Council (EPC), the FIRE Fund (Fund for Indigenous Rights and the Environment); the RED OIL Network (Resisting Environmental Degradation of Indigenous Lands), and the Native Conservancy. His tireless work has helped win the preservation of more than 1 million acres in the Gulf of Alaska coastline impacted by the Exxon spill and has received worldwide recognition, including Time magazine’s Hero of the Planet, as well as fellowships and awards with the Ashoka Foundation, the Hunt Alternatives Fund (Prime Movers), Future of Fish, Seaweb Seafood Champion, Utne Magazine (chose Dune as one of the Top 50 Visionaries Changing the World), among others.
More info coming soon.
SATURDAY | October 1, 2022 | Location |
4:00 – 8:00 PM | Registration open and sponsor set-up | Columbia Foyer |
SUNDAY | October 2, 2022 | Location |
7:00 – 8:30 AM | Registration open and sponsor set-up | Columbia Foyer |
7:00 – 8:30 AM | Breakfast | Kahiltna Court |
8:30 – 9:00 AM | Welcome | Kahiltna Court |
9:00 – 9:30 AM | Land Acknowledgement & History of Alaska Native Heritage | Kahiltna Court |
9:30 – 10:15 AM | Keynote | Kahiltna Court |
10:15 – 11:30 AM | Marketplace of Ideas | Kahiltna Court |
11:30 AM – 12:00 PM | Transition/Break | Columbia Foyer |
12:00 – 12:45 PM | Concurrent Breakout Sessions I | – |
Telling Your Story: Place, Harvesters, and Taste | Columbia A | |
Creating a More Resilient Food System Through Regional Partnerships | Columbia B | |
Putting Values into Practice for Local and Regional Seafood Systems: Part I | Columbia C | |
12:45 – 2:00 PM | Lunch | Kahiltna Court |
2:00 – 2:45 PM | Concurrent Breakout Sessions II | – |
Building Engagement with Customers | Columbia A | |
Community-led Activism and Market Creation in the Gulf of Alaska: Working Toward Equity, Resiliency, and Access | Columbia B | |
Putting Values into Practice for Local and Regional Seafood Systems: Part II | Columbia C | |
2:45 – 3:00 PM | Transition/Break | Columbia Foyer |
3:00 – 3:45 PM | Networking & Small Group Discussion | – |
Networking group I | Columbia A | |
Networking group II | Columbia B | |
Networking group III | Columbia C | |
3:45 – 4:30 PM | Concurrent Breakout Sessions III | – |
True Confessions of CSFs on the Journey of Scaling Up | Columbia A | |
Fish Farming Futures: the Good and the Ugly | Columbia B | |
Comparative Analysis of State Regulation of Direct Sales of Seafood Products | Columbia C | |
4:30 – 4:45 PM | Transition/Break | Columbia Foyer |
4:45 – 5:30 PM | Concurrent Breakout Sessions IV | – |
Bringing Kelp to Market: Farmer Perspectives | Columbia A | |
Ride the Slow Fish Rising Tide | Columbia B | |
Tackling the Climate Challenge: From Local Action to Continental Collaboration | Columbia C | |
7:00 – 10:00 PM | Live Music & Seafood Soirée | Kahiltna Court |
MONDAY | October 3, 2022 | Location |
7:00 – 8:30 AM | Breakfast | Kahiltna Court |
8:30 – 9:00 AM | Welcome Back & Reflections | Kahiltna Court |
9:00 – 9:15 AM | Transition/Break | Kahiltna Court |
9:15-10:00 AM | Concurrent Breakout Sessions V | – |
Innovative Solutions for Onboard Processing | Columbia A | |
Sharing Knowledge: Communicating with Managers for Resilient Fisheries | Columbia B | |
USDA Focus Group | Columbia C | |
10:00 – 10:15 AM | Transition/Break | Columbia Foyer |
10:15 – 11:00 AM | Concurrent Breakout Sessions VI | – |
Systems and Software for Resilient CSFs | Columbia A | |
The New England Young Fishermen’s Alliance: A Makeover for the Graying of the Fleet in Northern New England | Columbia B | |
Climate Winners: Adapting to Shifting Species Distributions | Columbia C | |
11:00 – 11:30 AM | Break | Columbia Foyer |
11:30 AM – 12:30 PM | Networking & Small Group Discussion | – |
Breakout Topic: Role of technical assistance / service providers, funders, and government agency representatives in supporting the future of local and regional seafood systems | Columbia A | |
Breakout Topic: Supporting the future of local and regional seafood systems through advocacy and policy engagement | Columbia B | |
Breakout Topic: Building a Canadian-American Research Network to Support Small-Scale Fisheries and Community-Based Seafood Systems | Columbia C | |
12:30 – 1:45 PM | Lunch | Kahiltna Court |
1:45 – 2:30 PM | Concurrent Breakout Sessions VII | – |
Bellingham Dockside Market: an Experiment in a Multi-species, Multi-fisherman Local Dockside Market | Columbia A | |
Technical Assistance Programs Across Geographies, Communities, and Needs | Columbia B | |
Knowing Your Customer: Consumer & Trade Marketing Insights | Columbia C | |
2:30 – 2:45 PM | Transition/Break | Columbia Foyer |
2:45 – 3:30 PM | Concurrent Breakout Sessions VIII | – |
TBD- Session in development | Columbia A | |
Increasing Access to Local Seafood and Incorporating more Local Seafood into the Emergency Food System | Columbia B | |
Various Applications of Sensory Science to Understand Consumer Seafood Behavior | Columbia C | |
3:30 – 3:45 PM | Transition/Break | Columbia Foyer |
3:45 – 4:45 PM | Keynote Panel | Kahiltna Court |
4:45 – 5:15 PM | Closing: Reflections & Future | Kahiltna Court |
Summit Adjourned |
Speaker bios and session descriptions coming soon.
- Building Engagement with Customers | Mon Appetit LLC
- Telling Your Story: Place, Harvester and Taste | Bristol Bay Regional Seafood Development Association
- True Confessions of CSFs on the Journey of Scaling Up | Fishadelphia/Skipper Otto
- Bellingham Dockside Market: an Experiment in a Multi-species, Multi-fisherman Local Dockside Market | Legoe Bay Fisheries/Whatcom Working Waterfront Coalition
- Bringing Kelp to Market: Farmer Perspectives | GreenWave
- Systems and Software for Resilient CSFs | Skipper Otto
- Innovative Solutions for Onboard Processing | Net to Table Seafoods
- Increasing Access to Local Seafood and Incorporating more Local Seafood into the Emergency Food System | TBD
- Creating a More Resilient Food System Through Regional Partnerships | Alaska Longline Fishermen’s Association/Alaskans Own
- Community-led Activism and Market Creation in the Gulf of Alaska: Working Toward Equity, Resiliency, and Access | Alaska Marine Conservation Council
- Fish Farming Futures: the Good and the Ugly | Don’t Cage Our Oceans
- NEYFA: A Makeover for the Graying of the Fleet in Northern New England | New England Young Fishermen’s Alliance
- Tackling the Climate Challenge: From Local Action to Continental Collaboration | Alaska Sea Grant Fellow with Northern Latitudes Partnerships
- Ride the Slow Fish Rising Tide | One Fish Foundation/Slow Fish
- Putting Values into Practice for Local and Regional Seafood Systems | University of Maine
- Various Applications of Sensory Science to Understand Consumer Seafood Behavior | UCSC/Ecotrust/OSU Food Innovation Center
- Comparative Analysis of State Regulation of Direct Sales of Seafood Products | National Sea Grant Law Center
- Sharing Knowledge: Communicating with Managers for Resilient Fisheries | University of Hawaii Manoa
- Climate Winners: Adapting to Shifting Species Distributions | Eating with the Ecosystem
The Seafood Soiree will be held from 7-10 PM the evening of October 2nd. Enjoy music from The Fishwives Band and a variety of heavy appetizers prepared by Alaskan chefs that highlight seafood caught by local harvesters.
More details to come.
We are bringing back the popular swag swap and silent auction! Designated tables will be set up near the registration table where you can display promotional items, swap “swag”, or donate items for the silent auction.
Guidelines
- Bring promotional swag or auction items to the Summit
- There will be two sections including swaps and silent auction:
- In the swaps section, leave something that you would like to share with others.
- Feeling charitable? Donate something to the Local Catch Silent Auction.
- Drop off your swag or auction items at the designated table during registration
- Be mindful of space and bring what you and others can easily transport.
What should you bring?
- Items with your business logo including t-shirts, hats, mugs, etc.
- Paper items like newsletters, annual reports, research papers, etc.
- Shelf-stable, packaged seafood products, like canned salmon, dried seaweed
- Artwork, poetry, books, creative expressions
- A CSF subscription or gift cards
- Other items are also welcome!
Interested in donating items for the silent auction? Please contact Kelly Harrell (akwildfish81@gmail.com).
Registration for the field trip is full.
The Local Catch Network is hosting a 3-day, 2-night educational multi-day tour along the Kenai Peninsula in Southcentral Alaska following the Summit. Participants will have a chance to visit local seafood processing operations and fishing sites as well as spend time with local fishermen, food entrepreneurs, fishery experts, and community leaders. The group will depart from Alyeska Resort on the morning of Tuesday, October 4th and will spend two nights in the small fishing town of Homer, located in Kachemak Bay, before returning to Anchorage on the afternoon of Thursday, October 6th.
As the main conference organizer, the Local Catch Network will keep up to date with the latest COVID policies and regulations for gatherings. Attendees may be required to wear masks indoors and provide proof of a negative COVID test, regardless of vaccination status. More information will be provided closer to the time of the event.
The scholarship application period has officially closed.
LCN seeks to remove barriers for participation for all attendees but we acknowledge barriers may be greater for groups most impacted by inequities. Priority may be given to seafood harvesters and impacted community members. Scholarship awards will be distributed pending financial needs and available funds. No guarantee of partial or full summit scholarships and/or travel assistance can be made in advance of scholarship notification.
Sponsors
Network Champion
Catalyst
Sustainer
Supporter
Planning Committee
Nelly Hand, Drifters Fish
Emma Kramer, Straight to the Plate-CSF
Melanie Brown, SalmonState & Bristol Bay Salmon Mama
Katy Rexford, Catch 49
Sunny Rice, Alaska Sea Grant
Kate Masury, Eating with the Ecosystem
Robbi Mixon, Alaska Food Policy Council
Colles Stowell, One Fish Foundation
Elizabeth Herendeen, SalmonState
Jon Russel, North American Marine Alliance
Joshua Stoll, PhD, University of Maine
Jordan Richardson, University of Maine