Lexicon of Sustainability

Slow Fish: Good, Clean and Fair Fish in Hawaii

Wednesday, September 11, 2013, 6:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.

Part of the Foodiology Series at Fresh Cafe, 831 Queen St., Honolulu  

Please join Slow Food Oahu at Fresh Cafe on September 11 from 6 pm – 9 pm for an evening of lively discussion, education, art, and fun as we bring the Slow Fish campaign home.

The Slow Food principles of good, clean and fair correspond to a global vision of food production, taking into consideration the environment’s ability to renew itself and the need for people to live together in harmony, and are as applicable to fish as any other food. Eating in “slow” style and choosing good, clean and fair fish, we can all allow ourselves to enjoy the pleasures of the table and at the same time push the market towards a responsible management of seafood resources. In Hawaii, these principles are even more important as our fish make up a large portion of our diet, our cultural resources and are integral to the health of our oceans.

With fishing, just as with agriculture, Slow Food strongly believes that every individual can contribute in his or her own small way to changing the mechanisms of a globalized food system based on the intensive exploitation of resources.Slow Food is convinced that we can only bring about change by returning to the origins of food – putting curiosity and pleasure at the service of responsible choices. We are rediscovering different, forgotten flavors, which the globalized market tends to obliterate, and new or updated recipes. We are seeking to recover the traditional wisdom of fishing communities, who often have not moved far from ancient fishing practices, the diets of past generations, and the known and unknown resources guarded by rivers, lakes and seas. All these things are part of our story and our identity. In this spirit, the international Slow Fish campaign is launching initiatives that promote artisanal fishing and neglected fish species and inspire reflection on the state and management of the sea’s resources. To have any chance of success, this reflection must start at a local level.

During the evening, we will be learning about our local resources and the state of our fisheries, and watching a short film from the international Slow Fish convention in Genoa, Italy, which takes place every two years. In addition, we will be presenting and viewing the second set of posters from the Lexicon of Sustainability project (www.lexiconofsustainability.com) concerning seafood sustainability and other Slow Food themes, and ending the evening by participating in an invigorating panel discussion with guest chefs and cultural and local experts in the field. Our goal will be to discuss real things we can do to promote sustainable, local fish-eating. This event will be followed up by several other events about this topic, including cooking classes, movies, and dinners focused on the theme of fish.  “Foodiology” is a series of events held at Fresh Cafe every 2nd Wednesday with the mission to perpetuate consciousness of food sustainability in Hawaii by working with food conscious community organizations.

Attendees will receive a copy of the Monterey Bay Aquarium “Seafood Watch: Hawai’i Consumer Guide” Fall/Winter 2013 Edition.

No reservations are necessary and the event is free.  Please feel free to purchase your dinner at the cafe.