McLean, VA – During the Global Seafood Market Conference in Las Vegas the Seafood Industry Research Fund (SIRF) held its annual benefit dinner at Mastro’s Ocean Club. In its second year, the dinner capitalized on past successes by bringing to table seafood industry leaders and raising a windfall of sponsorship dollars for the seafood research organization.
SIRF Chairman Russ Mentzer officiated the evening acting as master of ceremonies. Between elaborate seafood courses, Mentzer detailed the organization’s current work in seafood traceability, EMS research and seafood economic analysis, calling on attendees to support their businesses through SIRF’s industry-focused studies. “Everyone in business knows that it is important to take care of issues as they come up,” Mentzer said. “For the seafood business, it is time to get ahead of these issues and have solutions in place before they impact the marketplace. SIRF is an important part of that forward thinking game plan.”
Guests answered the call pledging enough to close out the Mike Voisin Memorial Fund and the Ethel Feigon Memorial Fund as well as add substantially to SIRF’s general fund.
In addition, the evening’s program featured chef and seafood sustainability advocate Barton Seaver as guest speaker. As an author and thought-leader, Seaver addressed attendees on the importance of asserting seafood as a diverse protein and an important part of America’s culinary heritage.
“Seafood has a rich history of founding and sustaining American communities,” Seaver said. “Unfortunately that story has not yet become a part of seafood’s legacy and has been left out of the sustainability discussion. Seafood needs to speak up for itself as a thriving food system that fosters health and drives economies.”
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The Seafood Industry Research Fund (SIRF) was established in 1964 to fund research grants to colleges, universities and other institutions for research related to the seafood industry and the consumers of its products. SIRF is supported entirely by voluntary contributions from individuals and companies in and related to the seafood industry.
Source: The Seafood Industry Research Fund (SIRF)