MAINE, USA — Hannaford Supermarkets and the Gulf of Maine Research Institute (GMRI) have recently launched a seafood guide in six languages.
The goal of the program is to help new Americans explore fresh and local options from the Gulf of Maine.
The guide was developed by GMRI and translated by the House of Languages in Portland. Guide developers aim to keep expanding its language offerings for more community members to use. Right now, the guide is available in six languages: Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Portuguese, and Spanish.
"We learned that there was interest in eating more local seafood but a lack of awareness of the types of fish and shellfish that we have here in the Gulf of Maine, so that led us to the creation of this guide that's translated into 5 [other] languages," Kyle Foley, the sustainable seafood director with GMRI, said.
The supermarket chain is efforting this as a way to help familiarize new Mainers with fresh local offerings while further developing the market for sustainable seafood.
"We know many members of local immigrant communities come from parts of the world that eat much more seafood than Americans do, and through this project, we learned more about their interest in local seafood,” Foley said. “Developing this guide is an exciting step towards connecting local immigrant communities with our local seafood industry and the amazing range of fish, shellfish, and sea vegetables we have in the Gulf of Maine.”
The guide started after some focus groups with local immigrants. GMRI worked with Hannaford, Good Shepherd Food Bank, and Portland Adult Education to organize the focus groups.
Approximately 90 percent of the participants said they liked and wanted to eat more seafood than they currently do.
“This new guide is a vital step in connecting new Americans with the information they need to make sustainable seafood options more accessible,” Jessica Donahue, director of marketing and communications for Good Shepherd Food Bank, said. “It’s not just about the food on our plates; it’s about the stories, traditions, and flavors that come with it. The development of these guides is a celebration of diversity, a pathway to healthier lives, and a testament to the power of partnerships between organizations like Good Shepherd Food Bank of Maine, Hannaford, and GMRI in our shared vision of ending hunger and strengthening our communities.”
Nathan Jewell is the seafood merchandiser at Hannaford Supermarkets.
“We learned of the need for a guide or an orientation to the seafood that is available locally. The groups also helped us understand their preferences – the importance of affordability, frozen options, and ways to better understand the fresh seafood offered locally,” Jewell said. “Many benefits came from the work to develop the guide. We understand the needs of our customers and our communities better and we are seeing new potential for Gulf of Maine seafood too. I think all the partners learned some things that will help develop the market for Gulf of Maine seafood.”
"We have a guide available at all of our counters and seafood departments across Hannaford, and the guides have a QR code that links to the fully translated guide," Jewell added. "There's been some communication challenges just based on languages being spoken so we feel that these guides will serve as an effort for these new community members and help our associates interact with customers."
You can click here for the detailed guide. It offers information about local seafood offerings, how to cook the fish, health information, and other pointers. The guide includes information on whitefish, haddock, pollock, white hake, monkfish, spiny dogfish, Acadian redfish, black sea bass, and scup.
