About Smart Catch
A Clear Standard for Responsible Seafood
Created to support chefs and food businesses in making sustainable seafood sourcing accessible, credible, and actionable.
Where Smart Catch Comes From
2015
Smart Catch begins as a Seattle-based pilot initiative by Vulcan Inc., focused on helping restaurants add more sustainable seafood to their menus.
2016
To expand nationally, Smart Catch is gifted to the James Beard Foundation. Postelsia becomes the foundation’s sustainability partner and manages the program, delivering chef-focused menu assessments and substitution guidance.
2022
After a pandemic pause, the program relaunches through events hosted at the James Beard House in New York and Socalo in Los Angeles. It continues under the Foundation, now in partnership with Postelsia as a division of Where Food Comes From.
2023
Ownership of Smart Catch is fully transferred to Where Food Comes From. The program begins expanding its reach across the seafood supply chain, offering support not only to chefs and restaurants but also to retailers and distributors.
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What's next?
Smart Catch will continue to evolve with a broader vision for responsible sourcing. From restaurant menus to grocery counters, the program is positioned to support the entire seafood community.
