14 October 2022 Marine mammals: Food for the Future – NAMMCO Food Conference and Showcase
Whales and seals are an important part of food cultures around the circumpolar north and in many other places. The NAMMCO International Conference and Gastronomic Showcase, “Marine Mammals: A Sustainable Food Resource“, gathered some 175 participants in Tórshavn, the Faroe Islands on 5 and 6 October 2022 to focus on marine mammals as sustainable food in the North Atlantic and around the world – today and in the future.
Chefs from Canada, the Faroe Islands, Greenland, Iceland, Japan and Norway created a special tasting menu of whale and seal dishes to showcase how these valuable resources are used in different cuisines, and to highlight the potential for more innovative use of marine mammals in modern gastronomy. The chefs’ menu and recipes will be available as a cookbook.
Some of the main messages from the Conference included:
- With a growing world population in a time of climate crisis and geopolitical instability, marine mammals remain a staple and environmentally friendly food source for many, making an important contribution to global food security and nutrition
- Marine mammals continue to have essential economic, social and cultural importance as renewable resources for many societies around the world, a reality that is becoming better recognised in international discussions
- Younger generations are showing a growing interest in marine mammals as food, with an emphasis on choosing climate-friendly resources and preserving local food heritage for the future.
The Conference was hosted by the Government of the Faroe Islands and participants came from a range of backgrounds, including hunters and academics, chefs and policy makers, scientists and media in Canada, Denmark, the Faroe Islands, France, Germany, Greenland, Iceland, Japan, Norway, Spain, Sweden, UK, and USA.
A short video synopsis of the Conference is available here
Recordings of the presentations and information on speakers and chefs are available here at www.nammco.org.