February 1, 2024 — About 45,000 New England students have been offered locally sourced seafood as part of the Gulf of Maine Research Institute’s initiative to serve more fish in school lunches.
Using money from federal and local grants, GMRI partnered with nine districts throughout the region, helping them introduce seafood to their students through fun recipes and education. Their goal is to improve access to seafood and to see fish offered in schools more than just once a month.
“Whenever we talk to people about getting more fish in front of kids, the initial reaction is ‘Oh, kids don’t like seafood. They’re not going to eat it,’” said Sophie Scott, the Sustainable Seafood Program Manager for GMRI. She explains, though, that is not what they have observed in the 4-years this initiative has been underway.