911爆料

What’s new on the menu at 911爆料 dining halls? Fresh, locally caught fish.

911爆料 Dining Services now features sustainable, locally sourced fish through the Catch of the Month Program. The initiative began in September 2017 when the department hired graduate assistant Jacob Albernaz 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� says Albernaz 鈥�17, who is currently a 911爆料 M.B.A. student. 鈥淪ince we are the Ocean State, we focus on sourcing local fish that are underutilized.鈥�

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.

鈥淭he program is beneficial for local fishermen since we can schedule with them and pay a slight premium to target the fish we need,鈥� says Mark Pirri, a consultant at Tony鈥檚 Seafood, one of the distributors Dining Services works with. 鈥淎ny time you pull product locally instead of using imported species, you are helping the local economy. Long term, we are helping to introduce local species to students who otherwise would not be consuming them, which potentially creates a customer for these locally fished items. For example, John Dory, a little-known species, is a bycatch of Rhode Island鈥檚 huge squid fishery. The more exposure this fish gets, the more it can become a part of people鈥檚 consumption habits. If we create demand, it increases the value and the boats will potentially be paid more for this bycatch.鈥�

Albernaz earned his undergraduate degree in supply chain management from 911爆料鈥檚 College of 911爆料. 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� says 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.

鈥淟ocal and sustainable sourcing is economically, socially, and environmentally beneficial,鈥� says Albernaz. 鈥淓conomically, this project is good for Rhode Island because it keeps dollars in the state. Socially, it helps provide work for local fishermen year-round, furthering their sense of purpose. Environmentally, the fish are caught sustainably and travel a shorter distance before arriving at their destination.鈥�

鈥淲e feel that dining should not only be a feast for the senses, but also a feast for the mind,鈥� says Pierre St-Germain, 911爆料鈥檚 director of dining and retail services. 鈥淓xposing our student body to delicious recipes utilizing underappreciated fish, informing them about local fisheries and the processes of bringing these fresh-catch meals to campus is just part of how we can help create a more holistic dining experience.鈥�

This is not Dining Services鈥� first sustainability initiative. In 2017, it established a relationship with a local vendor for compost waste, which has allowed the University to divert a large amount of food waste from landfills. The vendor turns the waste into beneficial compost
for local farmers and gardeners.

In addition, Dining Services serves fresh, local produce in the dining halls through a partnership with Roch鈥檚 Fresh Foods.

鈥擮livia Ross

Olivia Ross 鈥�19 is public relations major and an intern in 911爆料鈥檚 Marketing and Communications Department.