D2D™ Fish School Event to Focus On 'Consumer Reports' Magazine's Frightening Finding that Imported Shrimp Poses a Bacterial Health Threat to Consumers

The growing health threat posed to unsuspecting American consumers by 90% of the shrimp they are consuming will be addressed head-on at D2D’s second Fish School event taking place on July 23, 2015 from 6:00PM until 7:30PM at 3101 North Roosevelt Boulevard, Key West, FL, adjacent to the IBIS Bay Beach Resort and The Stoned Crab restaurant.

“This Consumer Reports magazine study places a microscope on the disturbing reality of imported shrimp which, unfortunately, is what the vast majority of Americans eat,” said D2D co-founder Tony Osborn. “Through the D2D program and, specifically, our upcoming Fish School event, we aim to both educate our Key West community on the dangers of consuming farmed, imported shrimp and offer a far safer, healthier, and local alternative in Key West Pink Shrimp.”

According to the Consumer Reports article, Americans eat, on average, 4lbs of shrimp per year. However, despite this internal demand for shrimp, 94% of shrimp consumed in the States is imported from poorly regulated and unsanitary international fish farms. As a result, when this imported, farmed shrimp arrives at American ports, it’s often coated with both dangerous bacteria and antibiotics. However, while it’s illegal to import bacteria and antibiotic-infested shrimp, the FDA has the capacity to test only .7% of this shrimp and, as a result, the majority of it enters the American seafood supply chain.

Specifically, the referenced study tested 342 samples of frozen shrimp – 284 raw samples and 58 cooked samples – purchased at large chain supermarkets, big-box stores, and “natural” food stores in 27 cities across the country. The study discovered that 16% of the cooked shrimp and 60% of the raw shrimp contained harmful bacteria such as vibrio, staphylococcus aureus, E. coli, listeria, or salmonella. Even more alarming is that 11 samples contained illegal antibiotics, used by foreign fish farmers to preserve their stock. According to the Consumer Reports article, Americans eat, on average, 4lbs of shrimp per year. However, despite this internal demand for shrimp, 94% of shrimp consumed in the States is imported from poorly regulated and unsanitary international fish farms. As a result, when this imported, farmed shrimp arrives at American ports, it’s often coated with both dangerous bacteria and antibiotics. However, while it’s illegal to import bacteria and antibiotic-infested shrimp, the FDA has the capacity to test only .7% of this shrimp and, as a result, the majority of it enters the American seafood supply chain.

“While the dangers of imported, farmed shrimp is clearly an American problem, it is not one without a solution,” offered Bill Kelly, Executive Director of The Florida Keys Commercial Fishermen’s Association. “Our local waters are abundant with the freshest and most delicious shrimp in the world – Key West Pink Shrimp. However, our community needs to understand that not all shrimp are created equally and that when you buy local, fresh shrimp, you are assured they are healthy. It’s as simple as that.” 

The July 23rd D2D Fish School event, and the D2D program in general, aims to turn the tide of the American seafood industry in favor of local shrimp and away from mostly unregulated farmed and imported shrimp. “The upcoming Fish School event will be forward-thinking. We will certainly discuss the frightening findings of the recent Consumer Reports study, but we will also discuss what can be done to force the FDA to address this issue legally. As Key Westers, we have a perfect solution: buy local, fresh, and delicious Key West Pink Shrimp that just came off a local shrimp boat,” said D2D co-founder Paul Menta. “What’s more, local restaurant member chefs will be conducting whole shrimp cooking demonstrations that night and attendees can sample the safest and healthiest shrimp in the country, all while enjoying beer, wine, and a Key West sunset. It’s an ideal way to spend an evening.”

For more information, visit keywest.docktodish.com, facebook.com/docktodishkeywest, and twitter.com/d2dfish.

Florida's First Community Supported Fishery and Seafood Market Takes Center Stage at the 2015 Aspen Ideas Festival

Florida is taking center stage in a new documentary that premiered at the 2015 Aspen Ideas Festival. A documentary series focused on the "Idea Economy" features Dock to Dish Key West (D2D™), Florida's first Community Supported Fishery (CSF) and Community Seafood Market (CSM), as one of three forward-looking enterprises singled out by multi award-winning documentary filmmaker Alison Klayman for the contributions the company is making to seafood sustainability, consumer health, and the livelihoods of Florida's commercial fishermen.

“We are extremely proud to have been selected by Klayman for the ‘Idea Economy’ documentary series,” D2D co-founder Tony Osborn said today. “Our inclusion proves that, together with our commercial fishermen, we do have the power to ‘rock the boat’ in the seafood industry. It’s exciting that a small company from a small town has the power to make a difference. This documentary provides our cause, mission and method with invaluable exposure on a national scale.”

HP Matter partnered with Klayman to develop a film series, “The Idea Economy”, that highlights the technology behind some of today's businesses that are disrupting and challenging the status quo in their respective industries. Each documentary explores the vision, passion and technological infrastructure of these companies that cultivates a need to change the world. In addition to D2D, the two other companies featured in the film series – which premiered on June 29th at the Aspen Ideas Festival – include Vimeo and One Kings Lane.

The Aspen Ideas Festival is the nation's premier, public gathering place for leaders from around the globe to discuss issues that shape our lives and challenge our times.

The documentary explores how D2D is disrupting the traditional fishing industry’s status quo and developing a sustainable system enabled by instant communication. Delivering fresh fish daily, according to the documentary, requires precise tracking of inventory and a communication platform for fisherman and customers. D2D’s model relies on the instantaneous sharing of information between fisherman and seafood market, seafood market and restaurant, and seafood market and consumer. “Each day, individual members and restaurants receive texts and emails alerting them on the catch of the day for purchase,” Paul Menta said. “D2D’s model begins and ends with mobile communication- and it’s working.” Mr. Menta participated alongside the film’s director Alison Klayman and Hewlett Packard’s CIO Ramon Baez in a discussion panel with an invitation-only audience of 700 attendees.

In the six short months since its founding in February of 2015, over 200 individual and restaurant members have signed up to purchase seafood from the market. “We’re so excited to share locally caught, sustainable American seafood with our customers because it’s the safest and healthiest catch in the world,” co-founder Chris Holland emphasized. “By utilizing communication methods, we’re raising the quality of seafood sold in Florida. We’re also improving the livelihood of local fisherman, who are now provided with both consistent work and a higher per price per pound compared to the fishing conglomerates exporting our delicious Florida fish overseas.”

While D2D has experienced immense success in Florida, the documentary brings the state’s first community supported fishery and seafood market to national attention — a goal that Holland strives for. “I want sustainable seafood or, as we call it – sea-stainability – to be at the forefront of everyone’s minds,” he said. “This documentary elevates our mission beyond what we’ve established in Florida.”

Keys Commercial Fishermen to Celebrate Opening of Florida's First Community Seafood Market (CSM) on February 14 in Key West

Dock to Dish Key West®, Florida’s first Community Supported Fishery (CSF), today announced that it will open Florida’s first Community Seafood Market (CSM) on Saturday, February 14, 2015 —Valentine’s Day— in Key West.

“Get to know your fishermen. They are America’s most endangered species,” said Dock to Dish Key West co-founder Chris Holland, who hailed the upcoming Seafood Market opening as the start of the next chapter in the sustainable seafood revolution.  “By combining mobile app convenience with traditional CSF quality standards, we are taking the next logical step in the evolution of the CSF model with the opening of the first CSM (Community Seafood Market). The new mobile technology behind this market, which will be available in June, is a powerful weapon in the fight to reclaim America’s oceans for the community. Our new mobile market app will put our fishermen and our community in direct contact with each other. This market will help reinstate the Florida Keys as the country’s highest quality seafood provider and rebuild the livelihoods of local-area commercial fishermen.”

According to co-founder and commercial fisherman Tony Osborn, the difficult mission was to adhere to the strict CSF guidelines established by Dock to Dish Montauk while finding new ways to make the healthiest, freshest seafood available to more community members in record time. The new fishermen-owned Dock to Dish Seafood Market is the first brick and mortar CSM market to offer nothing but local fish and seafood harvested by local area commercial fishermen. The market will also serve as the pick up point for the Dock to Dish Community Supported Fishery, scheduled to begin in June.

“This first-of-its-kind CSM Seafood Market will benefit both commercial fishermen and the community by reconnecting them directly with one another,” Osborn emphasized."In our CSM business model, there's just the Dock to Dish fishermen who caught the fish, the fishermen-owned market where the fish is cleaned and fileted, and the members who enjoy the fish. Fishermen can now meet their customers and customers can get to know their fishermen. Locally caught, sustainable American seafood is the safest and healthiest catch in the world. Making this direct connection will permanently raise the quality of seafood sold in Florida, improve the health of our community and improve the livelihoods of our local fishermen, who are vital to our economy.”

Holland added, “Dock to Dish is the antidote to the anonymous, and often unregulated seafood that is flooding our restaurant menus, warehouse clubs, and supermarkets from Asia and South America. 86% of the seafood America currently eats is imported*. Knowing your fishermen is the secret to better quality, better health and a better local economy.”

According to commercial fisherman and market manager Jason Wells, “Individual members and local area restaurant members will be able to see our boats come to the dock, watch our cutters prepare the fish through large windows, and make their purchase right on the spot. You can’t get fresher or more transparent than that! Many tourists come to watch it too.”

Co-founder and chef Paul Menta added, “Time is the enemy of all fresh produce, especially just-caught seafood. What makes this Seafood Market such a game changer is that we will be using mobile app technology, available in June, to communicate with our CSM and CSF members. Every Dock to Dish membership will include a mobile app that will inform members what each boat’s catch of the day is. With very few keystrokes, they can then tell us what seafood they want and how much they want. No phone calls, no emails. All they have to do is come in to our waterfront market and pick up the freshest fish they have ever had. The whole “conversation” is completed within the app. It’s very fast and that means very fresh.” 

Commenting on the impact the new Seafood Market will have on local commercial fishermen, Florida Keys Commercial Fishermen’s Association (FKCFA) Executive Director Bill Kelly noted, “The ancient art of commercial fishing is now being updated for the 21st Century and we couldn’t be more thrilled.  Chris and his team of commercial fishermen are using all of their resources plus the latest technology to reinvent the way fishermen connect with the community.”  All fishermen who supply to the Dock to Dish Community Supported Fishery and the Dock to dish Community Seafood Market must adhere to Dock to Dish’s fish-on-board policies.

Located at 3101 North Roosevelt Boulevard (on the dock adjacent to the Stoned Crab restaurant), the new Dock to Dish Seafood Market will be open seven days a week from 11:00AM until 9:00PM.  For up to date information, supporters and members can visit www.docktodish.com, call (305) 296-0274or email to fresh@docktodish.com.

Consumers must become market members. The one time membership fee is $35.  Members will receive a Dock to Dish Members Kit. The kit includes items they will need to keep their fish fresh on the way home: an insulated, reusable carry bag; one LCD thermometer; one reusable ice pack; insulated zippered pouches; the Dock to Dish Mobile App (with alerts) (in June) plus their membership card; a Dock to Dish Key West T-Shirt and a copy of Dock to Dish Chef Paul Menta’s book “Native Fuel” full of insights, recipes and local Keys food history. Paul Menta calls it, "not just a cookbook, but a food adventure.”

About Florida Keys Commercial Fishermen’s Association:

Founded in 1992, the Florida Keys Commercial Fishermen’s Association (FKCFA) is a professional organization representing stakeholders engaged in the commercial harvest of spiny lobster, stone crab and finfish in Monroe County, Florida.  Monroe County, including all of the Florida Keys and a small portion of southwestern Florida’s mainland, comprises the largest commercial seaport in the state and the second largest in the southeastern United States.  The industry is one of the most heavily regulated in the nation, governed by both state and federal agencies and a multitude of rules and regulations.  Thus, the primary work of the association is addressing fisheries management issues on state and federal levels.

FKCFA is widely known for their environmental work through cooperative research programs including gear modifications and testing, development of coral protection zones, internships for undergraduate and post-graduate students and their own scholarship program for Monroe County students.  The association prides itself on education and awareness of the socio-economic side of the industry and importance to the Florida Keys as the second largest economic engine in the islands, next to tourism, and the second largest employer.  Commercial fishing in the Florida Keys is generational in nature and dates back almost 200 years in the annals of Keys’ history. 

Panama City Classroom Makes WHOOSH!® Screen Shine An Every Day School Supply!

At Deer Point Elementary School in Panama City, Florida, teacher Will Weatherly invested in a full-proof solution to keep students healthy and classroom tablets clean. After years of teaching, Weatherly knows that dirty tablet and computer screens make for a very “germy” situation that’s unhealthy for students, teachers and families. So, he turned to WHOOSH!® Screen Shine – an all-new, non-toxic Screen Shine solution that’s proven to keep screens clean while leaving a nano-thin, invisible layer that resists dirt build-up, smudges and fingerprints.

“I depend on WHOOSH! Screen Shine to keep our classroom tablets clean and shining like new,” Weatherly said. “We use WHOOSH! twice a day, once in the morning and once in the afternoon. So far, none of my students have been sick!”

In Weatherly’s class of nine children, each student has their own Apple® iPad device along with a caddy of the usual classroom items like scissors, pens, and markers. Now, it also includes WHOOSH! Screen Shine.

“Each student has their own bottle of WHOOSH!. They spray Screen Shine onto the screen and wipe it down with the micro-fiber antimicrobial cloth,” Weatherly said. “I completely trust that WHOOSH! is safe for them to use.”

“Tech hygiene”, says Weatherly, is a growing concern as the “Bring Your Own Device” practice becomes increasingly more prevalent in K-12 classrooms. Tablets, used frequently in classrooms around the world, carry a significant amount of germs. Research from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine at the University of London indicates that 82 percent of mobile phones have some form of bacterial contamination.  Like washing your hands, keeping your screens and devices clean is necessary to help maintain good cleanliness and reduce the risk of cross contamination.

“Teachers swear by it, kids have fun spraying it, and parents are purchasing it. WHOOSH! does a phenomenal job taking care of the screens,” Weatherly added. “I recommend it for every classroom.”

WHOOSH! Screen Shine® is made with non-toxic, surfactants as opposed to harsh chemicals, making it entirely classroom-friendly. WHOOSH! does not contain alcohol, acids, ammonia, chlorine, petroleum distillates, phosphates or volatile organic compounds, meaning that parents and teachers need not to worry about any “uh-oh” accidents when left in the hands of students.

The solution cleans dirty screens and leaves an ultra-thin invisible coating that resists dirt build-up, smudges, and fingerprints. This ensures that screens will remain clean – an added bonus during a busy school day.

WHOOSH! Screen Shine is currently available in 3 sizes at www.whooshscreenshine.com: Pocket (.3 fluid ounce) for $5.99, Go (1 fluid ounce) for $9.99, and Duo (one 3.4 fluid ounces and one .3 fluid ounce) for $19.99. All sizes come with a 6”x6” WHOOSH! micro-fiber antimicrobial cloth. WHOOSH! is currently available for sale in Apple retail stores, Fry’s Electronics, Adorama Camera and at many wireless stores across North America, as well as online at apple.com and Amazon.com.

WHOOSH! Screen Shine is also available for the commercial, industrial, hospitality and education markets in a 24 fluid ounce bottle and a 5-gallon pail. WHOOSH! is currently available for the commercial market through various distributors including Stampede Presentation Products.