“Eat Seafood, America!” is the driving message of an effort aimed at helping Americans stay healthy during this COVID-19 public health crisis as well as help boost the U.S. seafood economy, supporting the 2 million American workers in the seafood industry. The campaign is being supported by a new Seafood4Health Action Coalition of 37 organizations, convened by Seafood Nutrition Partnership (SNP).
In addition to staying home and social distancing, staying healthy with good food and nutrition is one thing we can do to help boost our immune system and reduce the suffering from the COVID-19 pandemic. We all need to do our part to stay healthy and take pressure off our healthcare system. Higher intakes of specific nutrients appear to boost the immune system and reduce inflammation in the body, and fish and shellfish are rich in many of these important nutrients.
“There is strong scientific evidence that eating a balanced diet with seafood rich in micronutrients and omega-3s reduces risks of chronic diseases, boosts immunity, and reduces inflammation in the body,” said Dr. Tom Brenna, Chair of the SNP Scientific Nutrition Advisory Council and professor at University of Texas-Austin.
We encourage Americans to eat seafood and buy seafood to support their personal health and for the economic health of the men and women working in our U.S. seafood economy. The U.S. fisheries and seafood community have been hit hard with the COVID-19 virus as it has dramatically disrupted everyone along the supply chain, from fishermen and water farmers to fish processors to the restaurants that cook delicious seafood for the consumers. We need to act quickly to protect our seafood industry from the economic challenges caused by COVID-19 and make sure healthy seafood is available for Americans now and after we come out of this crisis.
“America, by eating seafood, you are supporting your health and helping to save jobs,” said SNP President Linda Cornish. “The coronavirus poses a significant threat to the future of an industry that employs approximately 2 million people in the U.S. That’s why we’re asking everyone in America to support the seafood community by eating seafood and buying seafood each week.”
What can you do to help?
- Eat seafood and buy seafood. It’s as simple as that! Buy it online from purveyors, restaurants, mail-order, grocery stores.
- Go to eatseafoodamerica.com and download campaign images and messages.
- Don’t forget to post a snap or video of your meal, tag it with #EatSeafoodAmerica.
- Repeat. Keep supporting our nation’s seafood community by eating seafood and buying seafood as often as you can.
The Seafood4Health Action Coalition is made up of 37 organizations who are working together to encourage Americans to stay healthy with seafood and help the U.S. seafood economy. They are: Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute; Aquaculture Stewardship Council; Aquarium of the Pacific, Seafood for the Future; Bristol Bay Regional Seafood Development Association; Chilean Salmon Marketing Council; Coastal Culinary Academy; Conservation Alliance for Seafood Solutions; East Coast Shellfish Growers Association; Environmental Defense Fund; Fair Trade USA; FishChoice; FishWise; FMI: The Food Industry Association, Seafood Strategy Leadership Council; Genuine Alaska Pollock Producers; Global Aquaculture Alliance; Global Salmon Initiative; Gulf of Mexico Reef Fish Shareholders’ Alliance; Gulf Seafood Foundation; James Beard Foundation Smart Catch; Maine Aquaculture Association; Maine Coast Fishermen’s Association; Marine Stewardship Council, US; Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch; National Fisheries Institute; National Marine Sanctuary Foundation; Nature Conservancy; NOAA Fisheries; Northwest Aquaculture Alliance; Oyster South; Pacific Coast Shellfish Growers Association; Pacific Seafood Processors Association; Positively Groundfish; Sea Pact; Seafood Harvesters of America; Seafood Nutrition Partnership; SeaShare and Walton Family Foundation.
To learn more about how you can be involved, visit eatseafoodamerica.com.
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