The Conch podcast

How do you bring craveworthy, responsible seafood 🐟 to people who live NOWHERE near the ocean?  We asked Dawn Polizzotti, the Senior Vice President of Digital for Long John Silver's—the largest service seafood chain in the United States! Over her 25-year career, she's done everything from develop fish sandwiches at Burger King to hire a social media influencer to rap about Long John Silver's. Tun...

Like the "Johnny Appleseed of the coast," one woman is replanting oyster reefs across New York City's 520 miles of shoreline along New York Harbor, engaging communities and kids in restoration of their beloved waterways and ecosystems. In this episode of The Conch podcast, we chat with Tanasia Swift, marine educator and field station program manager for the Billion Oyster Project. Tanasia shares h...

Immigrating from Russia, Harry Brownstein started delivering smoked fish in a horse-drawn wagon from smokers to shops around Brooklyn in 1906. Four generations later, Emily Caslow, Harry's great granddaughter, is an owner of Acme Smoked Fish and the President of the Acme Smoked Fish Foundation—every day, she gets to align her passion for the family business with philanthropy.  On Season 3, Episode...

According to recent research, women make up only 4% of the CEOs of the world's largest seafood companies. That's why we're especially excited to bring you Kim Gorton's story and insights—Kim is the CEO and President of Slade Gorton, a third-generation, family-owned seafood importer, processor, and distributor in Boston that got its start way back in 1849.   Tune into Season 3, Episode 7 of The Con...

More than 85 percent of the top U.S., Canadian, and European retailers have commitments to sustainable seafood. Sourcing seafood for a retail grocer is especially difficult in terms of balancing the myriad of considerations about a seafood product, but it's also an extremely rewarding career if you have a thirst for knowledge. In this episode of The Conch podcast, we chat with Daisy Berg, the Prog...

Seafood is critical in terms of feeding the world, providing valuable jobs, and addressing the climate crisis, but many don't know what to buy or how to prepare it. How do we build seafood literacy so that people are empowered with the knowledge and confidence they need to face the seafood counter?  In this episode of The Conch podcast, we chat with Trish Whetstone, a Canadian-based food literacy...

The cost of protein has increased by over 30% in the past five years, further exacerbating the unseen challenge of hunger—and seafood is often missing from the plates of underserved communities. By building relationships across the fishing industry, an organization called SeaShare works hard to get nutrient dense seafood to food-insecure people, families, and communities. Over the past 20 years, t...

Did you know fish skin can be transformed into incredibly strong, eco-friendly leather boots?  On episode 3 of The Conch podcast, Julie is joined by Tasha Nathanson, founder of Seven Leagues, a circular economy fish leather tannery and fish boot social enterprise based in the Pacific Northwest. They explore the process of tanning fish skin for leather, the challenges of launching a socially consci...

When you're not what people expect you to be, how do you pave your own path in seafood? The advice of chef, TV show host, cookbook author, and sustainable seafood advocate Stephanie Harris-Uyidi, a.k.a., @ThePoshPescatarian is to, "Do it yourself, and do it scared."  On episode 2 of The Conch podcast, Julie and Stephanie dive into her unique and innovative journey to produce her own globally succe...

Leading with compelling storytelling, clever brand marketing, innovative partnerships, and delicious seafood, Fishwife is one of the most exciting seafood brands on the market today. To kick off season 3 of The Conch podcast, we learn how one woman is leading the tinned fish category out of the dark ages and taking the sector by storm with tasty, sustainable seafood and a mantra that recognizes th...

Did you know that partners of commercial fishermen are an unseen, yet critical part of the seafood industry? They play invaluable roles in supporting their fishermen partners, and thereby the industry itself, yet are generally unrecognized and unpaid for this labor. In this episode of The Conch podcast, we learn how one woman created a community of support for Partners of Commercial Fishermen to s...

Precompetitive collaborations—when companies unite to address a shared problem or pain point that doesn't impact direct business competition— are becoming more and more popular in the seafood sector as companies begin to realize the power of the collective. In the newest episode of the Conch Podcast, we hear how one man is leading a group of seafood companies, united to amplify their impact and to...

Although considered one of the deadliest occupations, it's also been said that fishing saves lives*. In the newest episode of The Conch, we learn how one woman's grief led her to find solace on the ocean as a deep sea angler and galley cook. She shares the myriad of challenges for women in the sportfishing industry as she pursues her ultimate goal of someday becoming captain of her own boat. Julie...

Women in leadership roles in the seafood industry can be counted on one hand. In the newest episode of The Conch podcast, we hear how one woman has dedicated 40 years of her life to the industry, its people, and its communities. Lisa started fileting salmon on the "slime line" in college and is now supporting environmentally and socially responsible farmed and wild seafood through partnerships wit...

For fisheries, the path to sustainability isn't easy. In the latest episode of The Conch podcast, we learn how one woman is working to support fisheries in their journey to sustainability, helping them capture value and ensure sustainable seafood for generations to come. Julie welcomes Erika Feller, Americas Regional Director at the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC)—an international nonprofit on a...

Did you know that seafood is chock-full of nutrients that are critical to brain, heart, and overall health? While seafood is one of the most researched food sources in terms of nutritional benefits, much of this information wasn't communicated to consumers—until Seafood Nutrition Partnership came along. In the latest episode of The Conch podcast, we learn how one woman has made it her mission to m...

Career paths can be diverse and winding. In the newest episode of the Conch Podcast, we hear how one woman's path led her to become a driving force for positive change in fisheries and fish farms through efforts to educate the sector about challenges and rallying a collaborative effort to address them. Julie is joined by Stacy Schultz, Director of Marketing and Ssustainability Coordinator at Fortu...

The aquaculture industry lacks diversity in leadership. Starting in the summer of 2020, the industry made sweeping commitments to DEI in response to the reckoning created by Black Lives Matter in the U.S. and abroad. However, many of these commitments are exercises in box-checking, as we have yet to see action and tangible change. In the newest episode of the Conch Podcast, we learn how one woman...

How will we sustainably and equitably feed a growing planet? Coastal land grabs, climate change, and a lack of access to decision making about communal ocean resources are key challenges to answering this question. In the newest episode of the Conch Podcast, we learn how one woman is driving the charge to educate about these issues, bring everyone to the decision making table, and ensure that ever...

A career path in the seafood industry is often circuitous. In the newest episode of the Conch Podcast, we learn how one woman's passion and appreciation for oysters led her to an enduring career with a fish farm, where her lack of experience in the seafood industry has been one of her biggest strengths. Julie is joined by Julie Qiu, an international oyster expert, educator, and founder of In a Hal...

How does the seafood industry benefit from injustices happening in the sector? How can we address these injustices so that everyone can benefit? In this double episode of the Conch Podcast, we learn how one person is challenging their privilege through self reflection and illuminating the roots of injustice—racism, classism, and colonialism—in the sector. Julie is joined by Crystal Sanders-Alvarad...

How does the seafood industry benefit from injustices happening in the sector? How can we address these injustices so that everyone can benefit? In this double episode of the Conch Podcast, we learn how one person is challenging their privilege through self reflection and illuminating the roots of injustice—racism, classism, and colonialism—in the sector. Julie is joined by Crystal Sanders-Alvarad...

The seafood industry has a communications problem. Communications and marketing are seen as afterthoughts and sometimes outright dismissed. This dismissal perpetuates gender inequality as women hold the majority of communications and marketing roles in the seafood industry. In the newest episode of the Conch Podcast, we learn how one woman is pushing seafood communication to the forefront and ushe...

What's the connection between marine science and white supremacy? Academia is a system that allows abuse to thrive and Black women in marine science lack support systems to help them navigate the significant barriers they encounter. In the newest episode of the Conch Podcast, we learn how one woman has created a community of support, mentorship, and advocacy for Black women in science and academia...

The queen conch (Strombus gigas) is a culinary staple and key protein source for people all over the Caribbean. Unfortunately, their historic abundance has been affected by overfishing and climate change. In the newest episode of the Conch Podcast, we learn how one woman is galvanizing collaborations and advancing science to save this iconic species through restoration and conch farming—one farm a...