2025 Local Seafood Summit

The 2025 Local Seafood Summit brought together nearly 250 attendees from across the United States, Canada, and affiliated islands. 

The summit featured 30 sessions related to one or more tracks: 

• Building Community – Foster meaningful connections and long-lasting relationships amongst participants so that they are supported and empowered to create transformative change in the seafood system.
• Providing Technical Assistance – Develop and deliver relevant and accessible tools, trainings, and resources that participants can utilize to strengthen local seafood businesses, communities, and cultures.
• Raising Profile – Amplify research, local and traditional knowledge, and stories that bring visibility to the importance of community-based fisheries and highlight opportunities for change in the seafood system. 
• Facilitating Change – Empower participants to effectively engage in local, regional, and national processes that impact the seafood system and advocate for systemic changes.

The Summit Agenda is available for download here. Short session descriptions are available here, and click here for full session descriptions.

Sunday, November 9

Guided Bike (1:00 – 2:00 PM)

Early Registration (4:00 – 6:00 PM)

Guided Hike (4:00 – 5:00 PM) – New Time!

Welcome Social Event (6:00 – 8:00 PM)

Our Welcome Social featured a traditional shrimp boil, locally sourced sushi, and oysters. Alongside great food and community, we had live Cajun and Zydeco music from Barbara Garrity-Blake and Bryan Blake of the band Unknown Tongues. 

Monday, November 10

All Day

• • Exhibit: African American Contributions to NC Seafood
  • Silent Auction & Swag Swap
  • The Catch: Stories from our Seafood Communities

Registration (8:00 – 9:00 AM)

Breakfast (8:00 – 9:00 AM)

Welcome (9:00 – 9:30 AM)

Land Acknowledgement (9:30 – 10:00 AM)

Alex Alvarez lives in Flomaton, Alabama. His ancestral tribal town is Yufalv and he is of the bird clan. (Presentation)

Keynote Address (10:00 – 11:00 AM)

Diane Wilson is a fourth-generation shrimper, boat captain, mother of five, author, and an environmental, peace, and social justice advocate. (Presentation)

Marketplace of Ideas (11:00 – 11:30 AM)

Concurrent Breakout Sessions I ( 12:00 – 1:00 PM)

(Re)Connecting Consumers to Local Seafood Producers | Presentation

African American Contributions to NC Seafood Gulfview | Ballroom IV 

“Seafood to School” is So Much More | Presentation

Beyond the Dock: Bridging Gaps in Seafood Processing and Marketing | Presentation

Focus Groups on Occupational Safety and Health in the U.S. Seafood Industry | Presentation

Lunch (1:00 – 2:00 PM)

Concurrent Breakout Session II (2:00 – 3:00 PM) 

International Small-Scale Fisheries (SSF) Guidelines: From Voluntary Framework to Implementation | Presentation | (Refer to handout: Voluntary Guidelines for Securing Sustainable Small-Scale Fisheries, FAO, 2015)

Fishermen on the Frontlines: Community-Led Climate Solutions in the Gulf of Alaska | Presentation 

Reeling in Opportunity: How Ports Can Power Local Fishermen’s Markets | Presentation

Adding Value to Communities via 100% Fish Utilization | Live Oak I | Presentation

Seafood to School Networking & Facilitated Roundtable | Live Oak III 

Networking Session & Break (3:00 – 4:00 PM)

Faces of the Local Catch Network (3:00 – 4:00 PM)

Concurrent Breakout Session III (4:00 – 5:00 PM)

Catch the Rising Tide: Community Engagement for Seafood with Values | Presentation

Safeguarding the Shoreline: Innovative Solutions for Coastal Access and Working Waterfronts | Presentation

From Coast to Coast: Charting a Course for the Next Generation of the Commercial Fishing Industry | Presentation

Melting the Mysteries of Frozen Seafood: Results and Consumer Insights Over a 2-year Shelf Life Study 

Stormy Seas on the Horizon: Resilient Conflict Management on and off the Water | Presentation

Adjourn (5:00 PM)

LCN Member Hosted Happy Hour Gatherings (5:30 – 6:30 PM)

• • Louisiana Food Policy Council – Seafood Working Group
  • San Diego Fishermen’s Working Group – Building the Foundation for a Healthy Community Marketplace
  • SAIL Mentorship Information Session

        Faces of the Local Catch Network (5:00 – 6:00 PM)

Seafood Soiree (7:00 – 9:00 PM)

An unforgettable evening celebrating the bounty of the Gulf of Mexico at the Local Seafood Summit’s Seafood Soirée. Five acclaimed chefs — Sophina Uong (Mr. Mao, NOLA), Greta Reid (Greta’s Sushi, NOLA), Mike Nelson (G.W. Fins, NOLA), William Green (Gullah Grub, S.C.), and Jamie Davis (The Hackney Restaurant, Washington, N.C.) — crafted an extraordinary dinner highlighting fresh, sustainably harvested local seafood. Savor creative flavors, meet the makers, and toast to the vibrant coastal communities that bring this food to our tables. 

Tuesday, November 11

All Day

• • Exhibit: African American Contributions to NC Seafood
  • Silent Auction & Swag Swap
  • The Catch: Stories from our Seafood Communities

Breakfast (7:30-8:30 AM)

Faces of the Local Catch Network (7:30-8:30 AM)

Opening Remarks & Veteran’s Remembrance (8:30 – 8:45 AM)

• • Emmanuel Maldonado-González, Phd Student, Integrated Coastal Studies at East Carolina University
  • Chris Blankenship, Commissioner of the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR)

Insights from the Gulf Panel Discussion (8:45 – 9:30 AM)

• • Moderator: Margee Green, Louisiana Food Policy Council
  • Justin Solet, North American Marine Alliance
  • Xochitl Bervera, Near Futures Project
  • Vanessa Ramirez, Caribbean Fishery Management Council
  • Commissioner Blankenship, Alabama DCNR

Concurrent Sessions IV (9:45 – 10:45 AM)

Money Talks Fish – Access to Capital for Your Seafood Business | Presentation

Pier-to-Peer Knowledge Sharing | Presentation

Sometimes Fishing Means Just a Little Bit More | Presentation

Where Does Fishing Gear Go When it Dies? | Presentation

Break (10:45 – 11:00 AM) 

Concurrent Breakout Session V (11:00 AM – 12:00 PM)

Reel Them In: Content Creation and Cross Platform Marketing that Uses Story Telling to Sell | Presentation

Stories of Loss and Hope from Monterey Bay, California and Alaska | Presentation

Fishermen Centered: the Ups, Downs, and Sideways, of Putting Fishermen at the Center of Your Seafood Business | Presentation

Exploring Best Policy Practices to Support Direct Seafood Sales

Mapping the Future: Building a Community Atlas for Values-Based Aquaculture | Presentation

Lunch (12:00 – 1:00 PM)

Concurrent Breakout Session VI (1:00 – 2:00 PM)

An A La Carte Menu for Publicly Sponsored Seafood Marketing | Presentation

Island Fishing: A Small Catch with a Big Heart! | Presentation

Fish Exchange: Let’s Sell Seafood to Each Other! 

Centering Local Seafood at Every Level of Policy  

Focus Groups on Occupational Safety and Health in the U.S. Seafood Industry | Presentation

Concurrent Breakout Session VII (2:15 – 3:15 PM)

Economies of Attention: Social Media Challenges for Community-Based Seafood | Presentation

From Grants to Grand Isle Jewels: A Case Study of How Economic Development Organizations and Public Partners can Support Small Seafood Businesses | Presentation

Transparency, Trust and Truth: Local Seafood Advocacy in Louisiana and Alaska | Presentation

Key Chord Panel Discussion (3:30 – 4:30 PM)

• • Moderator: Elizabeth Dubovsky
  • Susan Lightfoot Schempf, Food Systems Leadership Network
  • Pete Halmay, San Diego Fishermen’s Working Group
  • Shareen Davis, Chatham Harvesters Cooperative
  • Buck Jones, Columbia River Intertribal Fish Commission
  • Charlie Abner, Atlantic Seafood Harvesters
  • Jhana Young, Conservation International
  • Jason Pitre, Bayou Rosa

Reflections & Future Outlook (4:30 – 5:00 PM)

Adjourn (5:00 PM) 

Wednesday, November 12

History Hike (8:00 – 9:00 AM)

Field Trip # 1: Water is Life Oyster Farm, Near Futures Projects, and Magical Apalachicola Bay (Nov. 12-14)  

Field Trip # 2: From Bourbon Street to the Bayou – A Gulf Seafood Adventure (Nov. 12-13). 

Lodging

Flights & Transportation

The Lodge at Gulf State Park is within driving distance of multiple airports:

Pensacola International Airport (1 hour)
Mobile International Airport (1 hour and 15 minutes)
Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport (3 hours and 30 minutes)

For those traveling to Pensacola International Airport, we are partnering with A Ontime Airport Connection. See details below: 

Company: A Ontime Airport Connection

https://pensacolaairportshuttle.com/

Airport: Pensacola, Florida (PNS)

Cost: $45/person

ROOM BLOCK IS CLOSED (OCT 17) –

Cabins at Gulf State Park: There are several cabins available at Gulf State Park. 

Campground at Gulf State Park: There is a large campground at Gulf State Park with hundreds of campsites available. https://reserve.alapark.com/gulf/campsites

There are also other rental options (studios, condos, houses) in Gulf Shores. You can search for rentals on VRBO and AirBnB.

Field Trip # 1. Water is Life Oyster Farm, Near Futures Projects, and Magical Apalachicola Bay

Trip Hosts: Xochitl Bervera, Kung Li

Field Trip #2. From Bourbon Street to the Bayou – A Gulf Seafood Adventure

Trip Hosts: Chef Dana Honn and Captain Lance Nacio 

We are committed to lessening barriers for participation for our programming, including the seafood summit, by providing scholarships to practitioners to help off-set the cost of attending the summit. Priority for financial support was given to seafood harvesters and other related attendees. At this time, scholarship applications are closed. 

We encourage participants to bring “swag” to share with participants or donate items for our 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! 

We received the highest number of session proposals we have ever gotten! We are no longer accepting session ideas.