'Sea To School' Project Brings Local Fish to K-12 Cafeterias

Tidings | Oct 20, 2021

A new project promises to increase the amount of local seafood served in K-12 public school cafeterias across New England.

line art displays icons of potatoes, carrots, fish, a piece of bread, and a fork on a lunch tray

The Gulf of Maine famously produces some of the best seafood in the world — so you might be surprised to learn fewer than 30% of New England K-12 schools serve Gulf of Maine seafood in their cafeterias. Our new Sea to School project aims to change that.

With support from the USDA, our sustainable seafood team is working with K-12 public schools across New England to increase the amount of local seafood served in their cafeterias.

We are partnering with eight school districts to serve more local fish to over 10,000 students across Maine, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, and Vermont.

Partner schools pledge to serve local seafood, setting their own seafood sourcing goals. Our sustainable seafood team helps the schools navigate procurement challenges to meet these goals. As one example, the team provides an online resource hub for food service staff and administrators.

The project also aims to teach students about local seafood and its associated benefits — including nutritional value, positive local economic impacts, and improved climate and sustainability outcomes.

Local seafood in schools is a win for the students, a win for our coastal communities, and a win for our future. We’re thrilled to have this opportunity.

Sophie Scott Sustainable Seafood Project Manager
Sophie Scott Sustainable Seafood Project Manager

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