Intertidal: Seafood Expo did not disappoint

Seafood from over 50 countries was featured in many forms — packaged, raw, fresh prepared and more — at this year’s Seafood Expo. Susan Olcott photos

It was a feast for the senses — including plenty to taste. From a colorful sushi bar to a whole monkfish to an array of shellfish from whelks to oysters, along with giant silver fileting machines, there was too much to see in one day. Nonetheless, I attempted to pack in as much as I could in my recent visit to the Seafood Expo North America that was held in Boston this past weekend and into the start of this week. The three-day event, held at the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center, was a combination of the Seafood Expo and Seafood Processing, hence the large equipment section of the exhibit hall. It’s the largest seafood trade expo in North America and did not disappoint in its scope.

The exposition is sponsored by the National Fisheries Institute with SeafoodSource as the official media partner. It is produced by Maine-based Diversified Communications. The purpose of the event is to bring together producers and buyers from around the world, including those from the wholesale and retail world along with specific markets like airlines and hotels, for example.

While the event was held in Boston, it by no means was limited to seafood businesses and buyers in New England. In fact, there were entire sections dedicated to different parts of the world, from China to Africa to South America and Norway. According to the event information, there were more than 50 countries represented. The products they displayed included everything from whole fresh fish to frozen to value-added refrigerated and shelf-stable items. The best part was that many of them had samples — a way to try new types of seafood as well as familiar ones prepared in new ways.

A variety of prepared fish cakes were available at the Seafood Expo.

I am grateful to a colleague who adequately prepared me for the event by telling me to come hungry and wear comfortable shoes. The exhibit hall is so large that you need a map to navigate it. There’s even an app that helps you to search for and locate products you’re interested in. Over my all-too-short handful of hours there, I tried everything from parihuela, a Peruvian fish stew; to perch from Africa’s Lake Victoria, a fish I learned can grow up to 6 feet long; to pollock sausage snacks from China and salmon salami from the U.K., which won the Best New Retail Product in the Seafood Excellence Awards Showcase.

In addition to the many booths in the exhibition hall, there was a New Product Showcase, an entire section dedicated to mostly value-added seafood products aimed at the consumer market and a section filled with impressive equipment from machines designed for accomplishing tasks like packaging, freezing and cutting. In addition, there were many different sessions in the conference rooms that addressed topics ranging from seafood safety to traceability to sourcing and marketing.

While countries and products from around the world were represented, there was also no shortage of those from New England — and even a few from Maine. Downeast Dayboat was there with its succulent scallops, as well as American Unagi with samples of its delicious smoked eel — which was farmed up in Waldoboro and was one of the finalists for a Seafood Excellence Award — and Atlantic Sea Farms with its tasty seaweed salad. There was also a whole table dedicated to monkfish. This was hosted by Cornell’s Cooperative Extension of Suffolk County, whose team is working to introduce more consumers to monkfish. They shared recipes and samples of products like Maine Coast Fishermen’s Association’s Monkfish Stew, a monkfish curry, a monkfish salad that can be served on a roll as a lobster alternative and delicious monkfish sliders — mini burgers served with a remoulade-style sauce that are being tested out in schools in Rhode Island as part of a project there to bring more local seafood into school cafeterias.

I left with a full belly and a full brain spinning with ideas for Maine seafood to reach more consumers along with an appreciation for the breadth of innovative approaches from producers and growers around the world. It also reminded me how rich our seafood industry is here in Maine and that I don’t have to go to an event like this to find fresh, delicious options to satisfy my seafood cravings, but rather that I can find it right here at home.

Susan Olcott is the director of operations at Maine Coast Fishermen’s Association.