Curator Conversations: An Affinity for Regional Seafood - How Eating Local Supports People and the Environment

Jon Klip, Co-Founder of Affinity Fish. Jon has been working in the restaurant industry for the past ten years, spending two of those in Kyoto, Japan. Working closely with the fishmongers in Japan, he brings to the table a detailed understanding of the best fish handling techniques and practices. Since returning to his hometown, Toronto, he has been frustrated with the exceptionally low quality of local fish, and the reliance on international shipping from Asia and Europe to provide better seafood. Knowing that the quality of fish in Canadian Oceans, Rivers and Lakes is world class, Jon has taken it upon himself to garner change in the industry.

Matt Taylor, Co-Founder of Affinity Fish. Matt Taylor has worked in professional restaurants for over twelve years, gaining experience at some of the best restaurants in Canada; URSA Restaurant, Actinolite, Shoushin, The Restaurant at Pearl Morissette, and Sakai Bar. Through working at these restaurants, Matt became drawn to seafood, particularly when training at Shoushin. The three years he spent there helped him to develop a keen eye for quality in seafood, as well as an understanding of fish ageing practices. He aims to implement these learned skills on seafood from Canada. He has been shocked at the lack of access to, and the handling and care of Native fisheries. The desire to work with seafood from his home that is handled with reverence and attention to detail that it deserves, is what drove him to start Affinity Fish.

Jordane Chegahno is a member of the Robichaud Commercial Fishing team that works closely with Affinity Fish to supply sustainably sourced fish from the traditional territory of the Saugeen Ojibway Nation Traditional territorial waters.

Dr. Nathan K. Lujan is the Associate Curator of Fishes at ROM and Assistant Professor in the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at the University of Toronto. Internationally recognized as an expert on ecology and evolution of the Amazon basin (the most biodiverse freshwater ecosystem on Earth), Nathan has led over 20 biodiversity inventories of remote river basins of Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Peru, and Venezuela, and has discovered and described over 30 new fish species.

Nathan's research is motivated by the urgent need to catalog, conserve, and comprehend freshwater biodiversity in the face of pervasive environmental impacts on lakes, rivers, and streams. In Canada, he has collaborated with the Department of Fisheries and Oceans to map the genomic population structure of at-risk aquatic species, understand the effectiveness of Niagara Falls as a barrier to fish dispersal, and develop molecular tools for the early detection of invasive species.

Nathan has published over 50 peer-reviewed papers and book chapters, as well as New York Times editorials and popular articles. His research has been supported by the US National Science Foundation, the National Geographic Society, the Explorers Club, the American Museum of Natural History, and the Coypu Foundation.