Brunswick Catch will host a conference about North Carolina fisheries and opportunities for our seafood economy March 12 and 13. The 7th annual NC Catch Summit includes tours, educational sessions, live demonstrations, excellent speakers, a new fish film viewing, and meals that feature local seafood prepared by local chefs. Join seafood lovers, commercial fishermen, and others who care about fisheries and fishing communities at this event held at the Southport Community Center on the banks of the Cape Fear River.

Jon Haag, Oak Island Fishmonger and Brunswick Catch Chairman encourages locals and anyone interested in the seafood economy to attend the summit. He has a reason for adding food demonstrations between the speakers and educational sessions.

“Our fisheries have catch limits and trip limits and all kinds of issues, but no matter how bad things get, the one thing you can always do is cook,” says Haag.

The summit starts with tours on Monday afternoon March 12 and ends at 3 p.m. on the following day. Speaker topics include fisheries management, opportunities for the future of our fish, successful seafood operations, and a film viewing of a new, short-format documentary about underutilized fish species. Live demonstrations involve processing shrimp, filleting fish, shucking oysters, and cooking all of these products.

A net to napkin tour follows the route that seafood takes from Royce Potter’s shrimp boat in the Southport Yacht basin, to a fish house, to a local restaurant. A wholesale tour option goes to the port of Wilmington and SeaView Crab Company to see cold chain logistics first hand.

The event is free and open to the public, but there is a small fee for Monday night’s dinner. Registration is required at nccatch.org or call the Brunswick County Extension office at 910.253.2610. Overnight accommodations may be available at Fort Caswell.