Slow Fish

David Beriss
University of New Orleans

After the festivities of Carnival, we have Lent. Here in New Orleans, even if you are not Catholic, you are surrounded by information about restaurants with Lenten specials, Friday night church fish fries, and other fishy pleasures. Church leaders are called upon to clarify if things like alligator are approved for consumption during Lent (it is). There is some interesting history behind this, of course. But the fact is, this is a great time for seafood lovers in Louisiana. There is a lot of fresh and local seafood around most of the time, but at this time of year we are encouraged to eat it more than usual.

All of which is really just a preface to call your attention to an upcoming event that both celebrates and raises questions about the consumption of seafood today. Slow Fish 2016, organized by the New Orleans Slow Food chapter, will take place from March 10-13. This is the first time the Slow Fish event will be held in the Americas, after being organized every two years in Genoa. The event will bring together scholars, activists, fishers, chefs, and many others to discuss the challenges confronting the world of seafood today. And the challenges are many, from questions about sustainability, or the environmental challenges of fish farming, to how fishers can make a living and even thrive.

Having the event in New Orleans provides a setting in which local seafood ways and culture can be promoted. Restaurants are putting on special menus, there will be music, a fish fry, and a big seafood boil event on the last day. Check out the web site for more information.