When Peter Philips and his brother Chris bought Fishermen’s News in 1999, they determined that they would distinguish themselves from their competitors by becoming active advocates for their readers: the West Coast independent commercial fisherman.
Chilean farmed salmon was wreaking havoc on the local fishing community at the time, and Peter introduced Wild Seafood Exchange in 2003 to provide a forum intended to help independent commercial fishermen identify and serve markets that appreciated the value of sustainably harvested wild seafood.
The conference proved a success and has become an annual event.
After 10 years in Seattle, the conference moved to Bellingham, Wash. when the Port of Bellingham offered to come on board as presenting sponsor. The Port of Bellingham and Sea Grant have continued to be active supporters of the conference ever since.
After Peter sold Fishermen’s News in 2020 he decided to continue producing the conference, now renamed Wild Seafood Connection.
Today, Wild Seafood Connection welcomes about 100 members of the sustainable seafood community every spring: fishermen, restaurateurs, and public agency representatives.
It serves as a conduit for fishermen to meet restaurants and retailers interested in serving wild, sustainably harvested seafood sourced from West Coast fishermen.
Attendees hear from a panel of restaurant chefs about what they need in a wild seafood supplier: portioning, volumes, species, etc.
Through case study presentations, attendees hear from their colleagues who have already established successful direct marketing businesses.
Attendees also learn about custom processing and distribution resources, as well as public financing and small business assistance programs.
We encourage you to join your commercial fishing vessel colleagues at the next Wild Seafood Connection conference in Bellingham on Feb. 29.
More information is available at https://www.wildseafoodconnect.com