Each year at the Tortuga Music Festival in Ft. Lauderdale, FL, Rock The Ocean Foundation curates a distinguished list of more than 30 worldwide thought leaders in Ocean Conservation to create their annual roster of Conservation Village partners. These groups are hand selected to participate on site at Tortuga because they are leaders in their field of expertise. The groups are divided into five tents, each representing one of Rock The Ocean’s 5 Core Issues: Overfishing, Shark Conservation, Coral Reef Degradation, Marine Pollution and Turtle Conservation.
Since 2014, the Conservation Village has also hosted the Green Gourmet, a space where South Florida Chefs can showcase their culinary skills using responsibly sourced seafood. “This is our sixth year organizing the Green Gourmet and we are excited to collaborate with the Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch program and their partners to offer all Green rated seafood options this year,” said Adriana Sٔánchez, sustainability advocate and Seafood Ninja, Inc. founder. “In our industry, we always speak to the challenges of connecting consumers to sustainable seafood so having the opportunity to collaborate with organizations such as Rock The Ocean in events like this one, provides us with a larger platform to connect with consumers and have a greater impact.”
The talented local Chefs joining the Green Gourmet this year include Chef Eduardo Reyes, from Cayo Esquivel Seafood Restaurant and Fish Market; Chef Lazaro Sanchez from Casablanca on the Bay, Chef Michell Sanchez, winner of Red Robin’s Best of the Bash Award at the Amstel Light Burger Bash from Latin House Grill and MadLove,™ and Chef Alain Lemaire, Legacy Miami Top 40 Under 40 and Cutthroat Kitchen Contestant and Co-owner of Sensory Delights Catering.
The seafood is being donated by a number of businesses who work with sustainable seafood and, perhaps more importantly, have committed to being transparent with the sourcing details of their seafood offerings so that their customers can make informed purchases. “Sea Delight LLC, Atlantic Sapphire, Inc, and Riverence are making it possible for restaurants and retailers to do the right thing,” says Brian Albaum, Business Engagement Manager for Seafood Watch. “By communicating where their seafood is from and how it was caught or farmed, their customers have the necessary information to check the Seafood Watch rating and confirm that what they are buying is environmentally-responsible.”
“The tides are turning for responsibly raised seafood, and we’re ready. At Riverence, we feel incredibly fortunate to stand alongside other Green rated producers, Seafood Watch, and all of the sustainability-focused chefs and seafood advocates at Tortuga,” said Gabe Watkins, Director of Communications at Riverence. “This event is an important opportunity for Riverence to let the world know how amazing land-based, American seafood can be!”
“We are very excited to continue supporting Green Gourmet. Sea Delight has been a sponsor since 2014 and we look forward to the opportunity to support local Chefs and help promote seafood sustainability in South Florida,” said Stephen Fisher, Sustainability Director at Sea Delight, LLC.
“Atlantic Sapphire is proud to support the Monterey Bay Aquarium in their quest to promote sustainable seafood.” Atlantic Sapphire CEO Johan Andreassen said that “During the Tortuga Music Festival, festivalgoers can try our delicious Bluehouse™ salmon from Denmark. As of 2020, Atlantic Sapphire will be selling Atlantic salmon raised in Miami.” Fish raised in a Bluehouse™ mitigates negative risk to our oceans.