The Seafood Industry has all the ingredients for a great TV reality show. Talk about reality TV uncensored. We don’t need to be prepped, or coached… the stuff that happens in our industry is pure gold. All we need is a camera (and subtitles-needed if they come to our office) and it’s a wrap.
- The conspiracy- the cut-throat competitive nature of this business always has everyone on edge. There’s ALWAYS some conspiracy theory in the making. We are all waiting for our archenemies to take us down.
- Backstabbing- Also related to #1. This industry is basically a small network. Everyone knows everyone at some level and people shuffle from one company to another, taking away secrets and “knowledge” despite NDAs (non-disclosure agreements) being signed, and former loyalties. I have been accused of “greenwashing” (will get to that at another post), but of course not to my face. Heck, it’s high school all over again, except everyone is all “grown-up.”
- Lawsuits- enough said-wouldn’t want to be sued.
- The scandals- there’s always some story about mislabeling (passing one fish for another) or mercury and radioactive levels, bacteria, etc., scaring Americans from eating seafood.
- Gender relations- This industry is mostly male-dominated with a few powerful women laying the groundwork for someone like me. There’s a good ol’ boy network, and business deals are often “unofficially” closed over dinner and drinks.
And then we add foreign suppliers, the issue of Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) fishing, sustainable seafood’s eco-labels, certifications and fishery improvement efforts, human trafficking and Eco-terrorism (and Greenpeace accused of it) and we got ourselves an awesome show. I would also dare to add the multiple NGOs and their industry partners supporting marine conservation programs and we open the battlefield to arguments over who’s fishery improvement efforts are better and “credible.” Should I say more?
Keepin' it Real is Not Always Pretty 
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