Slow Fish in Genua

Slow Food’s biennial sustainable seafood event, Slow Fish, was held in Genoa from 27 to 30 May 2011. During the four-day event, conferences, debates, workshops and tastings explored the issues surrounding sustainable fishing and responsible consumption. The fifth edition of Slow Fish was subject to funding cuts due to the difficult economic climate. Visitor numbers were down from the previous edition, with 40,000 entrances recorded, compared to 55,000 in 2009. This was mostly because of the event’s timing, Slow Food reports.
 

The visitors, however, were clearly informed about the issues and interested in learning more. Tickets for the guided tastings - Taste Workshops and Theater of Taste - were sold out, and sales at the Sea Bookshop were double those of 2009. The educational tours organized by the University of Gastronomic Sciences, Slow Sushi and Personal Shopper, were also hugely popular.

The exhibitors particularly appreciated the level of awareness among the visitors, and widespread media attention helped bring Slow Fish to an even wider audience. The future of Slow Fish was also discussed at the event. One idea was to bring all the most important international campaigns on the sea and responsible fish consumption together in one place. For this year, despite the difficulties, the organizers were happy with their communication of the event’s main message: “Eat fish responsibly.”

Slow Fish