GSIPM

Local Catch is great because it helps people learn about the local fishing industry and you also get a box of fresh fish every week! – “Sophie” Li Yifei, Shandong Province, China.

Last Thursday, students enrolled in the International Undergraduate Business Program (IUBP) visited Local Catch (Pacific Grove) to learn about sustainable seafood and triple bottom-line business operations. The students are visiting from Shandong University in China to attend IUBP. The program is an annual non-degree certificate training that provides emergent English Language Learners with a holistic introduction to international business and American culture and includes site visits to social enterprises and technology companies in the region.

The program is a three-week intensive training that provides a holistic introduction to international business and American culture and includes site visits to social enterprises and technology companies in the region.

The educational site visit was held along Wharf Two and presented by Local Catch members Alan Lovewell, Co-Founder and Manager, and Zach Koehn, Chief Sustainability Officer. Alan, who studied Marine Policy at the Monterey Institute, was able to weave translation services into his lecture – turns out he speaks a bit of Chinese. The students were delighted!

While meeting with Local Catch leaders, IUBP Students were offered a comprehensive overview of fishing practices, the global seafood market, and the growing need for sustainable enterprise. The group also saw first-hand how the Monterey Bay is connected to the massive global demand for seafood; as the group stood at the foot of the Wharf, an 18-wheeler truck loaded with market squid bustled by en route to China for processing before being distributed around the world and even back to the California Coast.

IUBP features five or more professional site visits each year to introduce students to various professions within the field of international trade, entrepreneurship, and development. Students conclude the program with a deeper understanding of how a globalizing trading system affects key industries including agriculture, labor, and the environment.