Food safety in seafood is often treated as a processing plant problem — but it starts long before the fish reaches the dock. The decisions made on deck, from how a catch is handled to how cold chain integrity is maintained, directly affect product quality and market access. This session reframes food safety not as a compliance burden but as a values-driven culture that, when built intentionally, becomes a driver of operational excellence, workforce engagement, and long-term sustainability. 

Drawing on real-world experience in Pacific Coast and Alaska fisheries, speakers will explore what food safety culture looks like in highly seasonal, decentralized harvesting operations and how it can be embedded without adding unnecessary cost. The conversation will address the human side of seafood safety, including seasonal labor, crew turnover, and language barriers. 

Attendees will:

• Understand what food safety culture means for harvesters and vessel operators
• Learn how everyday decisions on deck affect product quality, shelf life, and market competitiveness
• Explore practical, vessel-level strategies for reinforcing food safety behaviors and shared accountability among crew
• Recognize the link between food safety, worker safety, sustainability, and long-term economic resilience