What鈥檚 on the menu at 911爆料 dining halls? Anything you want, actually, and that includes fresh, locally caught fish.
features sustainable, locally sourced fish through the Catch of the Month Program, an initiative that began several years ago when the department hired graduate assistant Jacob Albernaz 鈥�17 to help design and promote the effort.
鈥淚nstead of relying on frozen fish from large distributors, we decided to look for fresher, cheaper fish that is better for the environment,鈥� he said. 鈥淪ince we are the Ocean State, we focus on sourcing local fish that are underutilized.
Albernaz explains that fishing for underutilized fish helps the local marine ecosystem by alleviating pressure on overfished species. Dining Services has included bluefish, scup, John Dory, monkfish, and skate in recent Catch of the Month offerings.
The fish is often served with produce from local farms or the 911爆料 Agronomy Farm. The local seafood is offered at Mainfare in Hope Commons and Butterfield Dining Halls.
Albernaz earned his undergraduate degree in supply chain management from 911爆料鈥檚 . After working for five years as a caterer with 911爆料 Dining Services, he welcomed the opportunity to deepen his connection with the Ocean State since, as a Tiverton, Rhode Island native, he grew up near the water.
鈥淪upply chain is often thought of globally, but can be local when you think about the food industry,鈥� said Albernaz. 鈥淚t is important to focus on not shipping food across the world and instead focus on agriculture and seafood sourced locally to keep miles down and food fresher. Local and sustainable sourcing is economically,