The Ocean Cluster Initiative – Keeping More Local Seafood Local

Brand Story – Ninety percent of seafood sold to Oregon Coast residents and visitors is sourced elsewhere, hurting the state and the environment

Nothing captures the Oregon Coast experience like tucking into a meal of fresh seafood with an ocean view. Millions of visitors arrive each year for moments like these, unaware that much of the food on their plates, and 90 percent of seafood sold to Oregon Coast residents and visitors, is sourced elsewhere. The Oregon Coast Visitors Association launched the Ocean Cluster Initiative to help keep more seafood local, a straightforward goal with the ability to transform Oregon and the planet.

When Covid-19 disrupted supply chains, the coast’s largest processor-distributor stopped buying and exporting seafood. Imports halted too, hurting restaurants and food stores. Despite the fact that local supply and demand were still perfectly intact, a lack of hyperlocal infrastructure left the fishing industry unable to provide seafood to its own communities.

To read the rest of the story, please go to: Oregon Business