A photography contest and panel discussion on fisheries sustainability, food sovereignty and the economy of Newfoundland and Labrador
‘From Hook to Fork: A Missing Link in the Fish Chain’ intends to raise public awareness on the lack of access to fresh, locally-caught, sustainably harvested fish and seafood in the province of Newfoundland and Labrador (NL) and its implications to fisheries sustainability, food sovereignty and the economy of coastal communities. The project also proposes to reveal and promote discussion on the disconnect between the different parts of the fish chain and invite visitors to question the status quo of NL fisheries (e.g. What is being harvested? What is being sold locally? What is being consumed in the household?).
Through a photography exhibit and contest, the project aims to add transparency to the fishing industry, share traditional fishing practices and local consumer habits, and ultimately connect fishers to processors to consumers across the fish chain. Furthermore, through a panel discussion, it intends to bring to the forefront issues such as the lack of access to locally-caught fish and seafood in the province and invite participants and visitors to reflect on its implications to food sovereignty, fisheries sustainability and the economy of coastal communities.
Photography contest
We invite the submission of photos in four main categories depicting different parts of the fish chain: i) harvesting; ii) processing; iii) marketing; and iv) consumption. Photos can be entered into the contest through a submission form in the 'The Fish Market' website until February 15, 2021. All photographs submitted (i.e. given that they follow the contest specifications – see details below) will be showcased to the general public as an online gallery at 'The Fish Market' website during Ocean Bridge’s Urban Learning Journey which will take place from February 19 to March 5, 2021. During that period of time, visitors to the webpage will be able to view the photo gallery and vote for their favourite in each of the four categories. Those who vote will be entered into a draw to win a prize from a local organization in the province working on fish as food. The photos that receive the largest number of votes in each of the four categories will win the contest, and each of those photographers will receive a prize, also in support of local fisheries/food organizations in NL. The winners to the voters’ draw and the photo contest will be announced on the day of the panel discussion (see details below). The winning photographs will be printed and exhibited in an open gallery format during the Summer of 2021 at a location to be confirmed. The event will be widely promoted through The Fish Market’s website and social media channels, as well as by its partners and sponsor (Ocean Wise).
Photo specifications
Each participant can submit an unlimited number of photos to any of the four categories.
All photos submitted must be in JPEG or PNG format, landscape orientation, and be at least 300 ppi and over 2 MB.
Each photo submission should include an accompanying caption explaining the context in which the photograph was taken, location, date, and photographer’s name.
Photographers are required to sign a photo release form thereby confirming being the legal copyright owner of the photograph submitted to the contest and granting The Fish Market and Ocean Wise permission to use their photo(s) for reproduction in any size or quantity for non-commercial purposes.
The submitted photos will be displayed on The Fish Market website indefinitely and used for promotional material, and the winning photographs will be printed in panels which will be exhibited during the Summer of 2021 at a location to be confirmed and donated to a local community organization for permanent exhibition.
Panel discussion
An online panel discussion on the topic ‘From Hook to Fork: A Missing Link in the Fish Chain’ will be held as part of Ocean Bridge's National Conference on March 5, 2021, from 6:30 - 8:00 pm NST via Webex. The panel discussion will bring together representatives of local community organizations, university, government, and fish harvesters to address the theme of the exhibit and provide their perspective and contribution to it. The winners of the photography contest and draw will be announced and awarded at the end of the panel discussion. More information soon.