May 28, 2026
Laurence Jossel
Chef and Owner
From Water to Plate: The Hard Truth About Sustainable Seafood
Order in—this one was too good to miss.
In May, we stepped into a different part of the ocean story—one that doesn’t end at the shoreline, but arrives on the plate.
We welcomed Laurence Jossel, chef and owner of Nopa and Nopa Fish whose work sits at the intersection of ambition and reality when it comes to sustainable seafood.
Everyone wants seafood that’s fresh, ethical, and responsibly sourced. But getting there? That’s where things get complicated.
After sharing his journey from food-obsessed kid to chef and restaurateur, Chef Laurence quickly opened the floor to questions. The conversation ranged from who defines “sustainable seafood” to how consumers can make informed choices, whether we should be eating lower on the food chain, and the challenges facing both fisheries and restaurants.
Kenny Belov, owner of Fish. in Sausalito and 2xSea Fish Wholesaler, added valuable perspective from the supply side, including one surprising reality: many people assume that choosing fish means avoiding terrestrial animal agriculture, yet many farmed fish are fed diets containing poultry products. It was a powerful reminder that modern food systems are often more interconnected—and more opaque—than consumers realize.
That complexity helped frame a discussion of a trout farming operation in Lassen County that uses 100% plant-based feed to produce high-quality seafood inland while potentially reducing pressure on ocean fisheries. Not a silver bullet, but an example of the experimentation and innovation taking place across food systems.
And because good conversations are even better with good food, Chef Laurence and the Nopa Fish team capped off the evening with samples of their house-smoked trout, raised sustainably and on a 100% plant-based protein diet, in Lassen County.
A huge thank you to our speakers, and community for another evening of curiosity, conversation, and connection.
Good food. Good questions. Good company.
Because the story of seafood doesn’t end when it’s caught—it begins again when we choose what to serve, and what to stand for.
The excuse restaurants use for not sourcing fish locally is that it’s what the customer wants. I think it’s just habit. At Nopa Fish we’re very determined to be local, sustainable, use the best product available, and know where everything comes from.
— Laurence Jossel (via Positively Groundfish)
