By Dennis Newman
Ever wonder where the seafood you eat comes from? I mean, where it really comes from?
More information than you can possibly imagine about that tuna fillet will soon be available thanks to a new program called Pacific Fish Trax.
Here’s how it works. Later this month, two New Seasons Markets in the Portland area will begin selling albacore tuna with Fish Trax bar codes. Scan the fish at a special kiosk, and you’ll get a Facebook like page introducing you to the fisherman who caught fish, the boat from which it was caught, and the processor who packaged it.
Fisherman Bob Aue scans a frozen fish fillet with a barcode during a test run of the project.
A screen shot of what you’ll see after scanning the fish.
Photos Courtesy: Lynn Ketchum, Oregon State University
Once you’re home, there’s even more information about that frozen fillet on the internet. The Pacific Fish Trax website will tell you where it was caught, the water temperature, maps of the ocean floor, etc……
The program is combined effort by Oregon State University, the Community Seafood Initiative, and Oregon commercial fishermen.
“It’s a way of connecting people directly to the food they eat, ” says OSU seafood economist Gil Sylvia. He sees restaurant chefs and seafood retailers having conversations with customers about the food they’re buying, and the stories behind it.
Fish Trax is a pilot program for now. Three fishermen from Newport and about 1400 pounds of frozen albacore are participating. Sylvia hopes to expand the program to include salmon.
