On Wednesday, June 3rd, 2026, Lusamerica sponsored California Rockfish for the annual Fish Fry hosted annually by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) in Washington DC. This event’s main goal is to showcase the diversity in seafood caught in U.S. waters. As a direct receiver of West Coast Groundfish, we saw this as an amazing opportunity to sponsor this event with our Rockfish. The fish provided for this event was caught by the Noah’s Ark fishing vessel, a close partner of Lusamerica.
From Noah’s Ark to The Capital
The rockfish provided at this annual Fish Fry was caught by the Noah’s Ark boat, captained by Brad Pettinger, close partner of Seafood Harvesters of America. Brad Pettinger has participated in the West Coast fishing industry as a commercial fisherman for 50+ years. His dedication to this industry has helped award him, and the companies he’s worked for many awards. Brad is the former director of the Oregon Trawl Commission and is known for helping reform and improve the sustainability of the West Coast groundfish fishery. He was even recognized by the White House in 2016 as a “Champion of Change” in the seafood industry. We’re proud to work with fishermen who are leaders in fisheries management, and it was an honor to feature fish from his boat at an annual event in our nation’s capital attended by congressional representatives & government officials.
What is the Fish Fry?
Although the event has been changed to accommodate a more professional setting, the Fish Fry started with more humble beginnings over 50 years ago. Beginning in 1975, former NOAA employees gathered on a boat for a small casual fishing trip and later agreed that whatever was caught would be prepared and eaten that same day. No one knew that this one day would bring on a new tradition to be celebrated for years to come. Today, the Fish Fry is a time to celebrate the bounty of our ocean by highlighting a variety of different seafood products across the nation.
What is the NOAA?
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is a U.S. government agency that studies and monitors the Earth’s oceans, atmosphere, weather, and climate. In addition to hosting events like these, NOAA’s main responsibilities include: weather forecasting, climate research, ocean monitoring, and more. Along with these tasks, the NOAA prides itself in highlighting sustainability across many facets of the seafood industry. By understanding, and predicting changes in weather, oceans, climate, and coasts, the NOAA can help protect lives, property, and industries like fishing that rely on our ocean.
Learn More Here.