Marine Fisheries in Gloucester Massachusetts Travel Guide Amazing Places

Any number of health studies these days suggests most of us could benefit from a diet that includes more seafood going out to sea to deliver that catch is a challenging way to make a living here in Massachusetts getting that catch to consumers has prompted an interesting community effort you know, it’s a daily grind you put your feet on the floor every morning hit the ground running, and you go out you try to go fishing Daniel Dunbar figures he’s been catching fish since he was five years old he’s the latest in the long line of Gloucester fishermen who harvested the oceans bounty for centuries Daniel loves his work but admits, it’s an unpredictable profession you never know when the official show up every day is different every year is different every month is different you know certain months of better than other months but not necessarily. I pay my daughter’s tuitions with the stuff you know.

I this boat disappears now. I gotta figure out. How to. How to replace those payments dating back to the early s Gloucester is one of the oldest towns in New England fishing has been its lifeblood since the th century it was once the largest fishing port in America but for countless generations of fishermen the sea has been both generous, and unforgiving this statue, and wall of remembrance honors more than five thousand souls lost to the Restless North Atlantic physical danger is just one of many risks fishermen here faced stiff competition from overseas suppliers prices can fluctuate wildly while fuel, and other costs keep rising marine educator Nancy Sullivan says that’s caused a steady decline in the number of Gloucester fishermen we had some, fishermen. I think in the ‘s here in Gloucester, and now there’s just a few hundred but now there’s an effort underway to keep fishermen in business, and preserve this way of life the Northwest Atlantic marine alliance was created to help small fishing communities from Maine to North Carolina executive director niaz Dory says they help each town create a community supported fishery with local residents signing up to receive fresh fish weekly directly from the source at a fair, and stable price our work really involves empowering the community-based fishermen.

So in this political arena where they’re forced to either scale up or sell out they can choose a third option which is to actually fit within the right scale, and operate at a small scale, and feed their local communities, and make a living that the action it can actually exist on each day the fresh catch is brought to markets like Turner seafoods that’s where Community Supported fishery members like Joanne heart stopped by to pick up their order today, it’s a boatload of black back flounder fillet din package just moments before the quality is better. Because it’s. So very very fresh, and it’s just coming right off the water here in Gloucester, and not Asia or South America.

I think that the more people that participate the more money the fishermen, and the better fish you get mornin brother hey. How are you good we have to pre orders today anything here Turner seafoods owner jim turner says the program actually keeps money circulating within the town, and helps keep his retail business healthy the captain’s they’re getting paid top dollar for their fish, and we’re busy. Because we’re we’re able to keep you know our guys working, and filleting, and and So it is, it’s a win-win for everybody the Community Supported fishery concept is modeled after the community supported agriculture programs that began in the US in the s like the model for farmers it provides a steady reliable price income, and customer base for the fisherman’s catch members share both the risks, and benefits we get together, and the organization pulls the money, and pays the fishermen to catch our fish for the table you know instead of being told what they’re going to get for their fish they know what they’re going to get.

So, it’s good for stability for everybody stability for the fishermen for the community, and say these folks for the marine environment a steady market means fishermen can concentrate on a quality catch not quantity we’re doing better yeah you’re doing better you’re not depleting you’re not catching fish in such great numbers people are going to talk about fresh seafood there’s no question about it. I think, it’s very important to these to these boats. Because you know, it’s anything like that where they are trying to promote fresh fish but for the communities which is what, it’s really all about.

So if you care about the health of the ocean you should care about who catches the fish that you want to eat you.