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be imported, but there are many species that can be sustainably harvested from US waters if we manage our natural resources using science-based management. It’ s a brilliant conservation success story.”
This recovery presents significant growth potential for the business going forward. Peter concludes by outlining the company’ s vision to capitalize on these opportunities:“ More local seafood will become the norm. We are still working on building back those markets because not everyone is familiar with these local fish. We would love to see domestic seafood growing more, but also seafood in general as a category; it’ s extremely healthy. It’ s so rich in omega-3s, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. When you compare it to other protein sources, it’ s night and day in terms of the health benefits.
“ When you look at the Mediterranean diet or Japanese cuisine, which are so rich in seafood, you can see there are health correlations and overall support by nutritionists, so seafood is something everyone can be enjoying more. We’ re always interested in growing our company and working with other businesses to bring them a wide variety of delicious seafood. We pride ourselves on being‘ the ultimate in quality seafood’. When it comes to processing, we have a wonderful food safety team and quality control team; they’ re always monitoring temperature, implementing hazard analysis control points, and preventing crosscontamination allergen risks.”
Moving forward, as the company celebrates fifty years, Lusamerica aims to bolster distribution, and by highlighting its direct partnerships with fishermen, grow seafood consumption overall. The company is investing and partnering with West Coast fisheries, pushing to make high-quality seafood the norm, and encouraging more generations to enjoy the fruits of the sea. ■
www. lusamerica. com
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