Upcoming Seafood Saturday in Nelson, no longer a one off?
Sealord’s Nelson fish processing crew
The interest in the inaugural Seafood Saturday event being held in Nelson on 25th March is prompting organisers to look at holding one in Nelson every year, as well as taking it to other fishing regions.
The event’s ticketed degustation meal sold out in two weeks, demonstrating high demand for local seafood celebrations, said Seafood NZ CEO Jeremy Helson.
“Selling out the inaugural degustation part of the event in a matter of weeks shows that Nelsonians really love their seafood.
“We are also getting calls every couple of days from people keen to get involved in the next one. We were telling people we hadn’t been planning on an annual Nelson event, but clearly the concept of Seafood Saturday is resonating, so we are now looking at how we can grow the concept for Nelson Tasman, while also taking it to another New Zealand region later in the year as planned.”
Helson said that even if people missed out on a ticket to the degustation meal in Nelson on the 25th, people should still come along to celebrate and enjoy the free activities and food on upper Trafalgar Street.
“There are a range of things to see, do and eat, like a demonstration from Sealord’s seafood experts on how to fillet fish, free fish and chips for 100 kids, a build your own fish burger bar, and other giveaways.
“The Nelson Provincial Museum is also hosting free ocean-themed activities, there are other kids activities, and festival goers can talk to key people in the industry about why it is so cool to work in the seafood industry,” Helson said. “Even if it ends up raining, we will have marquees set up, so we hope people still keep in the spirit and come down to upper Trafalgar Street!”
Mayor of Nelson Nick Smith said that New Zealand’s seafood industry has developed into a fine example of sustainable economic growth.
“It’s great to see that this seafood celebration has received such strong support already.
“Seafood Saturday is a wonderful opportunity for the seafood sector to show how the blue economy positively contributes to our community.
“Alongside the wine and produce sectors that Nelson Tasman is famous for, the commercial fishing industry provides tens of thousands of jobs each year, brings millions of dollars to the regional economy, and of course feeds us with delicious, high-quality seafood.
“One of the great things about the seafood industry in New Zealand is its continued focus on sustainability. We’re one of the world’s leading fishing industries when it comes to the careful management of our marine resources, and this should be celebrated,” Smith said.
Fiona Wilson, CEO of the Nelson Regional Development Agency agreed that Seafood Saturday is the type of event Nelson is looking to develop in the future.
“The seafood industry is a big part of what makes Nelson Tasman tick, and Seafood Saturday promises to bring a different kind of celebration to the city.
“There’s been a lot of interest from local businesses who want to be part of the next event. They see it as a great way to showcase their connection to this vital regional industry. This is similar to the interest we have had from businesses for our Moananui blue economy cluster project. People in Nelson Tasman are clearly feeling a connection with the ocean economy,” said Wilson.
The Seafood Saturday concept was the brainchild of Seafood NZ who wanted to celebrate the diversity and quality of seafood produced in fishing regions around New Zealand, and the people working in the sector.
“We wanted to showcase the quality of sustainable New Zealand seafood as well as the chefs and restaurants, and the people who catch our fish and produce our seafood for us. And we wanted to hold these celebrations in two fishing regions each year, places like Nelson, Whangārei, Timaru, Westport, New Plymouth, Dunedin, and others,” said Helson.
“Given the calls we are getting for involvement in an annual event in Nelson, I’m confident we can hold another one here that will be an even broader celebration of the local seafood sector. It also means we might need to think bigger for the one we are planning for another region later this year!” said Helson.
Seafood Saturday gets underway at 12pm on Saturday 25th March in Upper Trafalgar Street in the Nelson city centre. Visitors are advised to get there early so they don’t miss out on free fish and chips, which are available on a first in first served basis, thanks to Sealord and the Vic Public House.
For more information on the event head to seafoodsaturday.nz