Hey Reader,

Thank you for joining us for our September Future Green Members Monthly Meetup on Source Seafood Responsibly.

This session brought our community together for a practical conversation about where our seafood really comes from, from local and seasonal sourcing to traceability, depuration, carbon footprint and the complexities hidden within seafood supply chains.

A huge thank you to Chef Sandy Keung, Founder of TABLE, for sharing her hands-on approach to sourcing seafood in Hong Kong, including her daily visits to local wet markets, preference for lesser-known species and commitment to serving seafood at its best.

We'd also like to thank Invest Hong Kong for sponsoring this meetup and supporting the Future Green community to come together, learn, connect and exchange ideas.

Throughout the session, we explored why responsible seafood sourcing isn't always as simple as choosing a certification or following a label, and how asking better questions of suppliers can help businesses make more informed sourcing decisions.

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🌱 3 Key Takeaways

1️⃣ Look Beyond the Label

MSC and ASC certifications can provide useful signals, but responsible sourcing requires looking deeper. Where was the seafood caught or farmed? How was it handled? How long has it travelled? And what do we know about the people and practices behind it?

2️⃣ Local, Seasonal & Overlooked Species Deserve Attention

Sandy shared how she builds menus around what's fresh and available, including smaller and lesser-known local fish and shellfish rather than relying only on familiar imported species. Eating with the seasons can open up new menu possibilities while supporting more thoughtful sourcing.

3️⃣ Handling Matters as Much as Sourcing

One fascinating part of our discussion was depuration. Sandy explained how she uses controlled tanks to allow live shellfish to purge waste before serving, rather than simply placing them in holding tanks. It was a reminder that responsible seafood doesn't stop when a product reaches the restaurant — handling, quality and animal welfare matter too.

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💬 FAQs from the Session

🎓 Education & Classroom Engagement

Q: How can we introduce complex sustainability concepts to young students?

• A: Monica from CIS suggests using creative storytelling. For example, a fun writing exercise about a "happy oyster in a tank" can introduce the social and ecological dimensions of marine life in an accessible way.

Q: Are there popular media resources that can help teach animal welfare?

• A: Yes. An audience member highlighted the Netflix documentary "My Octopus Teacher" as an excellent tool for raising awareness about marine animal sentience and emotional connections to nature.

🏷️ Sourcing & Seafood Standards

Q: What is the biggest challenge in seafood labeling right now?

• A: Alistair from Iseal Alliance emphasised that combating IUU (Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated) fishing remains a critical focus area for supply chain transparency and proper labeling.

🍽️ Culinary & Food Service Industry

Q: How is the Compass Group implementing sustainability across its menus?

• A: Tom shared that they focus on scaling "easy win" sustainable solutions first. They specifically praised Chef Sandy’s method of seamlessly introducing local ingredients into daily dishes.

It was great to bring together members from across education, catering, property and other sectors, each contributing different perspectives and ideas on what responsible seafood sourcing can look like in practice.

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Thank you again for being part of the Future Green community.

These conversations are only as strong as the people in the room, and your openness to learn, share, and take action is what drives meaningful change forward.

See you at the next meetup 🌱

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What's Next?

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