The SIRF Board met in September 2019 covering a full agenda for the seafood research organization. Items included planning for fundraising events, reporting on ongoing projects and discussion of project proposals. Watch the video for a recap of the meeting.
Category: News
SIRF Director’s Testimonial
SIRF is guided by a board of industry leaders. This team guides SIRF’s mission forward by improving the seafood industry with innovative research. In this video, learn from SIRF directors what they value about the seafood research organization.
Crab Enhancement Research
Dr. Yoni Zohar with the University of Maryland Baltimore County and director of the Aquaculture Research Center at the Institute of Marine and Environmental Technology has co-authored a paper on Crab Enhancement. “Stock Enhancement: Strategic Approach for the Blue Swimmer Crab in SE Asia” profiles various approaches to bolstering crab populations through hatchery raised stocks and recommends best practices. Learn more about how this innovative practice can contribute to crab sustainability.
SIRF Enrolls in AmazonSmile Program
SIRF has registered with AmazonSmile to make donating to the seafood research nonprofit even easier. A version of the e-commerce platform, AmazonSmile makes available all of the offerings and prices as the original Amazon while dedicating a portion of every purchase to a charitable organization of the user’s choosing.
By selecting SIRF as a charity recipient, seafood advocates will secure, at no cost, 0.5% on all eligible purchases towards funding innovative, industry-improving projects.
“AmazonSmile is a convenient way to convert the online shopping experience into a supportive act,” said SIRF board member Derek Figueroa. “I have registered SIRF as my AmazonSmile charity and am glad to see my routine orders now contributing to an industry-bettering effort.”
Since launching in 2013, AmazonSmile has sent over $80 million to charities. To assist in SIRF’s fundraising, members of the seafood community are encouraged to visit smile.amazon.com and select SIRF as their designated organization or visit SIRF’s AmazonSmile page.
SIRF Chairman Russ Mentzer views AmazonSmile as a promising revenue source for the seafood study-sponsoring group.
“As an adaptive organization SIRF is always looking to diversify opportunities for giving,” said Mr. Mentzer. “AmazonSmile offers a quick and simple way to shop and support SIRF with no hassle or fee. I hope SIRF’s champions will take advantage of this program and give back to SIRF with their buying decisions.”
SIRF Newsletter 2018 (I)
SIRF’s first newsletter of the year is out! Read all about SIRF’s current activities which include a New SIRF Fundraising Video, SIRF Fundraising Events and studies on Crab Enhancement and Environmental Impact Research.
Link here.
SIRF Soirée a Success in Miami
January 24, 2018 -Miami, FL- Earlier this week, the Seafood Industry Research Fund hosted its annual benefit dinner, the SIRF Soirée. Occurring during the National Fisheries Institute’s Global Seafood Market Conference, the event took place at the Phillip and Patricia Frost Museum of Science in Miami, FL. Seated beneath the museum’s overhead aquarium, over one-hundred industry professionals gathered for a seafood dinner to recognize SIRF’s work and fundraise for the newly established “Mike Gorton Living Tribute Fund.”
Chairman Russ Mentzer educated attendees on SIRF’s portfolio of scientific studies, detailing the business applications of on-going research in DNA species identification, decomposition testing, carbon-footprint analysis and nutrition.
“The seafood industry is a diverse marketplace,” said Mr. Mentzer. “SIRF’s variety of research is designed to keep pace with our business’ manifold issues. It takes a strong mixture of support to keep that mission moving forward.”
The evening’s keynote address profiled SIRF’s work to combat child labor and trafficking in Ghana. Delivered by SIRF-grantee Kristine Beran, a PhD Candidate and Research Associate at the University of Rhode Island, Graduate School of Oceanography, the address outlined SIRF-sponsored activities to combat labor-issues in Ghana’s pelagic fishery.
“Community involvement is essential to eliminating trafficking in fisheries,” Ms. Beran said. “The collective effort of friends and family members towards education and prevention makes this social science effort an ideal area of focus for the communally-oriented SIRF.”
SIRF Establishes Mike Gorton Living Tribute Fund
The Seafood Industry Research Fund (SIRF) has announced the opening of the Mike Gorton Living Tribute Fund. The fund honors the Slade Gorton executive’s legacy, commemorating a range of contributions to the research non-profit from board member to fundraising organizer.
“Mike Gorton is a SIRF institution,” said SIRF Chairman Russ Mentzer. “Throughout his career, Mike’s influence has touched on every aspect of SIRF’s history, leaving an indelible imprint of service and leadership.”
A longtime member of the SIRF board until 2015, Mr. Gorton spearheaded fundraising for the group, an effort culminating in the annual benefit hockey game between teams NFI and Seafax. First played in 1993, the event brings seafood professionals onto the ice for a friendly contest. Now bearing Mr. Gorton’s name as the Gorton Cup, the game has raised over $1 million for seafood science studies. 2018 will mark the 25th anniversary of the hockey fundraiser and founder Mike Gorton’s last game.
“SIRF fulfills a critical business and scientific function,” said Mike Gorton. “Advancing seafood through practical research, SIRF continues to rally the industry around a worthy, common cause, one that has brought me great satisfaction in furthering. I am grateful for the privilege of continuing to bolster SIRF with this newly dedicated fund.”
Contributions to the Mike Gorton Living Tribute Fund can be made through SIRF’s website. This year’s Gorton Cup will take place during the Seafood Expo North America on March 12th, 2018 @ 7:30 PM at Harvard University’s Bright-Landry Hockey Center. SIRF supporters are encouraged to come and cheer on Mike Gorton and their favorite players for teams NFI and Seafax.
Q3 SIRF Newsletter
Check out the SIRF Q3 2017 Newsletter for stories on: SIRF Research Videos, Closed-Tube DNA Testing, SIRF Soiree Location Announced, Future Leader News, SIRF Board Meeting.
Interview with SIRF Researcher Dr David Kuhn
Virginia Tech researcher Dr. David Kuhn is conducting a study testing the effectiveness of antibodies in warding off aquaculture disease. In this interview, Dr. Kuhn describes SIRF’s support for the project as critical, allowing for the leveraging of university funding and resources in the execution of a complete analysis.
“I think funds like SIRF are really important because they are really geared towards the industry. Helping in the near term and sustaining as well,” said Dr. Kuhn. “Without SIRF funding this project would not be taking place.”
SIRF Launches Redesigned Website
Seafood Research Non-Profit Debuts New Look
August 7, 2017-McLean, VA- The Seafood Industry Research Fund (SIRF) has unveiled a newly redesigned website at Sirfonline.org. With a reformatted web-presence, the seafood research organization seeks to keep supporters current on its activities through an intuitive, interactive and educational visitor experience.
The new SIRF site combines videos, news stories and research updates to communicate SIRF’s active role in furthering the seafood industry through science. In addition, a searchable database of SIRF-sponsored studies makes available the full-text findings of over 400 archived projects.
“SIRF invests in studies that will benefit the seafood industry,” said National Fisheries Institute’s Director of Scientific Affairs and SIRF Staff Lead Margaret Malkoski. “The new website reflects SIRF’s forward-thinking approach by translating seafood science into plain-speaking, actionable language for the business community.”
Mobile responsive, the upgraded site utilizes a repositionable screen size providing phone and tablet users with a clean-edged, navigable layout. Visitors can also better engage with SIRF’s mission through streamlined methods of proposal submission and donor contribution.
“Our donors are SIRF’s most valuable resource,” said SIRF Chairman Russ Mentzer. “With the new website, SIRF aims to recognize its donor-base while keeping them informed of our work. The website’s capacity for dynamic content will provide ample incentive and opportunity for visitors to continue their support.”
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The Seafood Industry Research Fund (SIRF) was established in 1964 to fund research grants to colleges, universities and other institutions for research related to the seafood industry and the consumers of its products. SIRF is supported entirely by voluntary contributions from individuals and companies in and related to the seafood industry
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