Two University of Maine System campuses achieve champion status for seafood sourcing practices
The dining operations at the University of Maine at Presque Isle (UMPI) and the University of Maine at Fort Kent (UMFK) recently achieved the goal of sourcing 100% Gulf of Maine Responsibly Harvested® white fish, making them Champions in the Gulf of Maine Research Institute (GMRI) seafood program.
College dining hall food today is not what it once was. More and more, colleges are turning food into a way to attract students and an opportunity to positively impact the local economy. Academic institutions like the University of Maine System are working hard to bring students, staff, and the surrounding community fresh, sustainable, and increasingly local meal options.
UMPI and UMFK joined GMRI’s Gulf of Maine Responsibly Harvested program in 2016 as members of the Maine Course initiative by Sodexo, the company that manages their foodservice operation. The GMRI program’s ecolabel identifies seafood that is traceable back to the Gulf of Maine region and species that meet important criteria around responsible harvest.
The Maine Course is Sodexo’s commitment to make a positive economic impact in the state of Maine through the purchase of local products, produce, services and responsibly harvested underutilized seafood. Sodexo has committed to serving 100% Gulf of Maine Responsibly Harvested white fish at all their university locations throughout the state of Maine by 2020. UMPI and UMFK have reached this goal and all the colleges in Maine served by Sodexo are on track to reach 100% by this coming January.
Over the past two years, Sodexo at UMPI and UMFK have shifted from buying fish imported from other parts of the world to purchasing fish like Atlantic pollock and Acadian redfish from the Gulf of Maine region. Sterling Hartin, General Manager at UMFK, reports that they’ve also seen more success in serving seafood in general.
“We serve fish and chips every Friday,” said Hartin. “When we explain to our customers what GMRI is and that we are actually serving a white pollock fish fillet they are amazed that this fish is not haddock or cod fish.”
By sourcing less well-known species, UMPI and UMFK are helping to drive demand for a broader range of abundant, responsibly harvested species from the Gulf of Maine. This, in turn, gives fishermen more options and helps to build stronger local economies across the state.
“It is a very satisfying feeling knowing we are helping local fisherman and, in some cases, introducing the students to something they never knew existed,” explained Craig Thompson, General Manager at UMPI.
This fall, GMRI Sustainable Seafood Project Manager, Sophie Scott, officially recognized Sodexo at UMPI and UMFK for their achievements and commitments to serving 100% Gulf of Maine Responsibly Harvested® whitefish from the Gulf of Maine during a celebration event on each campus.
For more information, please visit: http://www.gmri.org/responsiblyharvested.
About the Gulf of Maine Research Institute (GMRI):
The Gulf of Maine Research Institute (GMRI) pioneers collaborative solutions to global ocean challenges. Located in Portland, Maine, GMRI is dedicated to the resilience of the Gulf of Maine ecosystem and the communities that depend on it. For more information, visit www.gmri.org
About the Maine Course by Sodexo
Sodexo’s Maine Course is our commitment to make a positive economic impact in the state of Maine through the purchase of local products, produce, services and responsibly harvested underutilized seafood. Through our daily menus, educational handouts, and inviting local farmers, fisherman and business owners to campus highlighting local Maine products. https://mainecourse.sodexomyway.com/
