On Sunday April 15, is presenting the inaugural , sharing stories and serving up local catch to promote ocean sustainability.
The event was born to help consumers understand more about the recent legislation around banning commercial net-fishing explains Alison Peake, president of Slow Food Melbourne and organiser of the Slow Fish Festival.
"These bans mean that many of the local fish you currently enjoy will no longer be available,” Peake tells SBS. “Already we are seeing the flow-on effects of these bans - locally-caught King George Whiting has doubled in price over the past two years, for example. We are losing the right to buy local seafood, but beyond that it is also about multi-generational businesses, our seafood culture and history - we are losing all of these things.”
According to the festival’s organisers, our oceans and bays and those who rely on them for their livelihood are under threat from pollution, global warming, and illegal and unsustainable fishing.
"At the Slow Fish Festival in Melbourne, attendees can meet some of these local fishers and hear the latest insights on sustainable fishing in Australia, as well buy fresh local seafood and savour cooked dishes - with much of this product, there are not many local fishers left catching it,” Peake says.
Buckets of cooked whitebait will be on sale at the Slow Fish Festival. Source: Slow Food Melbourne
There will be a seafood market on the day serving up a range of dishes, spanning the more luxurious likes of sea urchin and abalone to skewered yabbies and of course, fish and chips.
It’s an all local affair with stallholders making the most of nearby bounty. Kimu Korean Japanese Eatery, Gourmet Pies and Inkredible Calamari are among those who will be serving up delicious ocean fare on the day, with craft beer supplied by Hop Nation and wines by Dal Zotto.
Cooking demos will provide sustainable inspo to visitors, hosted by Rosa Mitchell (Rosa’s Canteen) and featuring Melbourne food royalty Frank Camorra (MoVida), Pope Joan’s Matt Wilkinson, Thi Le (Anchovy) and more. Educational talks and a dedicated kids on-land sea adventuring space round out the family-friendly event, all of which has been designed to celebrate and savour our ocean’s bounty.
Source: Slow Fish Festival
Sunday April 15 10am - 4pm
Spotswood-Kingsville RSL & grounds: 16 Mary St Spotswood
