Thanks to the Aquaculture Stewardship Council, Atlanta seafood shoppers and diners have a new perspective on farmed seafood — and it’s stamped with a sea green label. 

In collaboration with Georgia-based Inland Foods, ASC recently concluded its first-ever joint retail and restaurant promotion, connecting with thousands of Atlanta seafood enthusiasts during its aptly named “Summer Seafood Series” promotion.

From Memorial Day through July 4, the one-of-a-kind promotion featured two of the city’s biggest champions of quality seafood: Kathleen’s Catch and Fishmonger. The seafood market and restaurant, respectively devoted the early months of summer to educating their patrons about responsible seafood farming, also known as aquaculture. 

Over six weeks, all Kathleen’s Catch and Fishmonger locations spotlighted a selection of ASC-certified and labeled species, provided by Inland Foods. Kathleen’s Catch offered weekly specials, cooking classes, wine and recipe ideas, and social media posts featuring AVRAMAR branzino, Verlasso salmon and Riverence Provisions trout. Meanwhile, Fishmonger delighted diners with two decadent specials: 

1. ASC Certified Open Blue Cobia Ceviche with hibiscus ponzu, daikon radish, orange, scallions and chilies
2. ASC Certified AVRAMAR Branzino Sandwich with soy, fish sauce, mirin, sake, garlic and ginger marinated branzino, grilled and topped with spicy mayo, fried shallots, and pickled banana peppers

In-store materials guided guests online to discover more about the meaning behind ASC’s sea green label, including how certified responsible farms are raising seafood with care by meeting the organization’s strict standards for environmental sustainability and social responsibility.

ASC estimates the campaign reached shoppers and diners in-store more than 5,000 times, while its digital ads promoting the Summer Seafood Series reached area residents more than 1.1 million times. The promotion also earned significant local media coverage and social media amplification.

The Summer Seafood Series is the latest promotion in ASC’s multiyear marketing campaign to build awareness, interest and understanding of ASC’s sea green certification label to shoppers throughout North America. 

“The Summer Seafood Series was not just educational, it was fun,” said Kathleen Hulsey, owner of Kathleen’s Catch. “Our customers know about our long-standing commitment to ethically sourced, quality seafood. I’ve always been vocal about our support for farmed seafood – done right. This promotion gave us a fresh, approachable way to bring this often complicated discussion to life. Offering responsibly raised fish with the ASC label has given us more ways to show shoppers that farmed seafood does, indeed, have a place on their plates.” 

“We take pride in creating dishes that are not only flavorful but responsibly sourced,” said Skip Engelbrecht, Fishmonger co-founder. “The Summer Seafood Series enabled us to feature delicious, high quality and unique seafood species that we know have been certified as responsible by the ASC. The enthusiastic response from our guests has been truly gratifying, and we are honored to join ASC in advocating for practices that safeguard the health of our oceans.”

"Partnering with ASC has been a fantastic way for Inland Foods to raise awareness about the importance of sustainable seafood in the Atlanta area, and to showcase our commitment to practices aimed at preserving the environment that feeds us. By working together with our customers and organizations like ASC, we're able to educate our community about the benefits of choosing seafood from transparent, traceable, and well-managed sources,” said Ali Rosenberger, director of marketing for Inland Foods. “We are proud to provide businesses like Kathleen’s Catch and Fishmonger with high-quality seafood that not only meets ASC’s strictest standards but also reflects our unwavering commitment to quality. The positive feedback from the Atlanta community reaffirms our investment in a sustainable future, the value of ASC certification, and our dedication to delivering only the best products to our partners."

ASC will return this fall for the Atlanta Food & Wine Festival, September 13-15, in partnership with Inland Foods. The global nonprofit will serve responsibly farmed Riverence Provisions trout to thousands of attendees, complete with wine pairings, giveaways, social media contests and more.

Source: Aquaculture Stewardship Council