SEATTLE, Wash. — Ned Bell received the Seafood Champion Award for Advocacy at the opening reception of the SeaWeb Seafood Summit, held Monday in Seattle. The awards recognize individuals and organizations for excellence in promoting ocean health and environmentally responsible seafood with honours in four categories: advocacy, leadership, innovation and vision.
“As someone whose life mission has been to raise awareness about the importance of sustainability, I am deeply honoured to receive this affirmation that it is having an impact,” says Bell. “My hope is that this award will only further the cause, starting conversations about how we ensure healthy oceans, lakes and rivers for future generations. Programs like Ocean Wise allow every one of us to become an advocate. From fishermen, to chef, to diner, we can all make a lasting impact.”
Bell is the Ocean Wise executive chef at the Vancouver Aquarium and founder of Chefs for Oceans. In 2014, he rode his bike 8,700 km across Canada, hosting 20 events alongside some of the country’s best chefs, to raise awareness of sustainable seafood.
“By stepping away from commercial opportunities to be the executive chef at the Vancouver Aquarium, Ned Bell demonstrated his unique commitment to the movement,” says judge Max Levine, senior associate, California Environmental Associates in San Francisco. “He wholly embraced the importance of being an advocate, and I’ve been impressed by his continued engagement and optimism.”
