National Seafood Council Task Force Shares Pathways to Funding National Seafood Marketing Campaign

The National Seafood Council Task Force is releasing its Initial Findings Report, which highlights pathways to funding for a National Seafood Marketing Campaign and governing structure considerations for the National Seafood Council (NSC). The Task Force met in September to brainstorm ways to rally the industry, discuss the organizational infrastructure, and secure funding for a National Seafood Marketing Campaign. The Task Force is now seeking industry input into the proposed plan with the goal of building consensus around forming the National Seafood Council to conduct a National Seafood Marketing Campaign.

“The National Seafood Council Task Force members see this unique moment in time for the seafood industry to grow the seafood category and we look forward to working together in 2022 to build a groundswell of support with the industry to lend their voice to secure federal funding for a National Seafood Marketing Campaign,” said Judson Reis, former President and Chief Executive Officer of Gorton’s Seafood and founding Chair of Seafood Nutrition Partnership (SNP).

SNP is incubating the National Seafood Council with advice and input from the NSC Task Force, which is composed of industry leaders and advisors with unique expertise crucial for the success of this initiative. The immediate objectives of the NSC Task Force are to:

• Secure federal policymakers’ support and Congressional appropriations of $25MM per year for at least 5 consecutive years to support the National Seafood Council and launch a unified, holistic national seafood marketing campaign that will drive increased seafood consumption across all seafood sectors in the U.S.
• Expand the NSC Task Force to be representative of the diverse seafood supply chain so that it will have the strength to garner Congressional and Industry support.

During its inaugural meeting, the founding members of the NSC Task Force developed and agreed to the following guiding principles:

• Vision: Working with stakeholders, policymakers and nonprofits, an industry-led National Seafood Council will develop and execute a holistic national seafood marketing campaign to build a more resilient seafood sector, improve public health and foster a healthier planet around consuming sustainable seafood. 
• Mission: The National Seafood Council will conduct education, research, promotion, and marketing directly to American consumers that feature the benefits of sustainable seafood for health and nutrition, and will serve as an umbrella campaign that will help amplify existing U.S. seafood marketing efforts.
• Core Values: Bold Leadership. Diversity. Inclusion. Integrity. Positivity. Science Based. Sustainability. Unity.

Now more than ever, federal policymakers, seafood stakeholders and environmental nonprofits have a unified interest in telling a more powerful story about the human and planetary benefits of increased seafood consumption. If Americans simply increased their annual consumption of sustainable seafood from 19 lbs. to 26 lbs. per capita, per health recommendations, we could drastically improve public health, foster a healthier planet, and create new economic opportunities throughout the seafood supply chain. 

Further, due to COVID-19, consumers, funders, and policymakers are all focused on health and climate, and seafood is a solution to the major issues we face today. This is the watershed moment to act! 

As the convening entity behind the development of a National Seafood Council, SNP will work to provide periodic opportunities for seafood supply chain stakeholders to be educated, informed and comment on the ongoing work of the NSC Task Force. It is SNP’s intent that this transparent and deliberative process will help unify the diverse seafood industry around the generic seafood marketing concept focused on the public health benefits of seafood. The process will include consultation with SNP stakeholders, and communications outreach may be through emails, newsletters, meetings, webinars, conferences, town halls, and/or news media. Further, the intent of this process is to educate and help galvanize the seafood community around the concept of marketing seafood as a category, which will increase chances for securing federal funding needed to launch a National Seafood Council to conduct a National Seafood Campaign.

To learn more about the National Seafood Council Task Force or provide feedback on the report, contact Matt McAlvanah, Campaign Director, at matt@seafoodcampaign.org. 

 

About the National Seafood Council Task Force
The National Seafood Council Task Force is composed of industry leaders collaborating to establish the National Seafood Council to conduct a National Seafood Marketing Campaign. Seafood Nutrition Partnership (SNP) is serving as the convening organization.