Ahab's Journal

Dare County to brand local seafood

Dare County is preparing to launch a branding program, "Outer Banks Catch," to promote locally caught seafood and inform consumers about what kinds of fresh fish are available when.

"This is really going to help the fishermen educate the general public, which is ultimately going to help the commercial fisherman," said Jamie Reibel, a member of the county's working watermen committee. "It's worthy." 

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OB Catch Membership Subcommittee Meets December 30

The Outer Banks Catch Membership/Sponsorship Subcommittee will meet Wednesday, Decmber 30, 1 pm, room 168, Dare County Administration Building, Manteo.

A Fish Sells in Brooklyn

An hour before sunup, Rick Lofstad begins his fishing day from his vessel, the Pura Vida, out on Long Island. Hours later, on Saturday mornings, his fresh-catch is sprawled on tables at the Fort Greene Farmer’s Market, ready for someone’s supper that night.

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Outer Banks Catch Executive Committee Appointments

At the Outer Banks Catch Executive Committee meeting last night, the group made the following appointments:

Basic Seafood HACCP Workshop, Including Segment II Training: Feb. 16-18

North Carolina Cooperative Extension and North Carolina Sea Grant along with the NC State University Seafood Laboratory announce a Basic Seafood HACCP Workshop to be held on February 16-18, 2010 at the Center for Marine Sciences and Technology (CMAST) in Morehead City, N.C.

This annual, two-and-a-half-day workshop is designed for personnel in regulatory agencies, the seafood industry, particularly distributors and processors, and others who are required to have an FDA Seafood HACCP Plan in place for handling fresh seafood and seafood products.

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Push to have state buy more shrimp falls short

BATON ROUGE — There are few signs, if any, that an executive order issued by Gov. Bobby Jindal in late September has actually helped increase the amount of shrimp state agencies buy from Louisiana fishermen and processors.

Over the summer, fishermen went on a brief strike due to dismal dockside prices and processors continue to sit on one of the largest frozen inventories of recent memory. It’s tough all over, especially when you mix in high fuel prices and foreign imports.

In response, Jindal issued an executive order roughly three months ago that created a special task force and made a specific purchasing request of agencies in his branch and all political subdivisions that buy seafood on a regular basis. 

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Thailand shrimp tariffs could be dropped

HOUMA — Shrimpers hold the key to deciding whether tariffs on shrimp from Thailand should be lifted in return for a government-brokered cash payment to the U.S. industry.

The question — complex just by itself — is complicated because of disagreement between processors and the Southern Shrimp Alliance, the eight-state coalition that sought and won the tariffs.

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Crab-pot makers turn traps to trees

DAVIS -- In this tiny fishing village, where generations caught crabs inside wire-mesh traps, you can't make a nickel on the tasty crustaceans anymore, not with cheap seafood from Malaysia flooding the North Carolina coast.

So a few years back, Neal "Nicky" Harvey cut up some of the crab pot wire lying around his shop and built a small Christmas tree. Then another. Then a dozen. Then a thousand. Now this Christmas, Fisherman Creations will send out roughly 150,000 crab-pot trees from Raleigh to New York, from Smithfield to Texas.

It took the ingenuity of an old-time crab-pot maker to transform a sheet of green mesh, a material that looks a good bit like chicken wire, into a piece of holiday charm. At 66, Harvey has seen his fishing net business dry up, watched crab-pot demand fall from 3,000 to 300 a year and lived to see the landmark Sanitary Restaurant and Fish Market in Morehead City serve shrimp from Taiwan. With these trees, Fisherman Creations can export relics of a fading Down East culture. 

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In Birthplace of Local Food, Fish Imports Take Over the Menu

The San Francisco region is where the locavore movement got its name. And decades before restaurants like Chez Panisse in Berkeley were recommending their local leeks, the establishments near San Francisco’s wharves took pride in their fresh, local sand dabs and petrale.

These days, fish flown in from around the world is more likely to be on offer. The change began gradually, but has recently sped up. Data from the Pacific States Marine Fisheries Commission, a federal advisory group, reveal the cumulative effect: a 71 percent drop in commercial fishing revenue along the north-central California coast since 1990.

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Outer Banks Catch Meeting December 14

The Outer Banks Catch Executive Committee will meet December 14, 6 pm, at the Dare County Administrative Building, room 168, in Manteo.

New Bedford seafood wholesaler cuts out middleman

NEW BEDFORD — Even in a city like New Bedford, where commercial fishing boats line the harbor, most people buy seafood from a middleman.

By the time seafood reaches consumers, it has already been bought and sold — and its price marked up — at least once.

Starting Friday, local residents will have another option: Fleet Fisheries, a longtime seafood wholesale operation, will open a fish market at its South End facility that will sell seafood directly to consumers at near wholesale prices.

"We're trying to cut the middleman out, and we're trying to create jobs for the area," said Virginia Vinjerud, who owns Fleet Fisheries with her husband.

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What’s hot? Local, sustainable fish

12/2/2009 8:39:56 AM - The National Restaurant Association on Tuesday released its annual What’s Hot survey, and “locally sourced seafood” came out on top.

Of the 214 food and beverage items and preparation methods 1,854 American Culinary Federation member chefs were asked to score, only “locally grown produce” beat out “locally sourced meat and seafood” as the hottest culinary trends.

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Fishermen aim for higher quality, better prices

In the effort to promote Bristol Bay's red salmon as a brand, quality and consistency are key, said Mark Palmer, president and chief operating officer of Ocean Beauty Seafoods.

"A brand is a promise to consumers. To build that brand, you have to bring up the bottom," said Palmer, referring to fishermen who deliver a lower-quality product.

He added that the Bristol Bay Regional Seafood Development Association is on the right track to help with improvements,

The association, which represents 1,850 driftnet vessels, advocates for continued improvements in the handling of sockeye, from the moment the fish are brought on board and picked from the nets. In its most recent newsletter, the association noted that in 2008, some 24 percent, or 32.5 million pounds of sockeyes delivered by the driftnet fleet, were chilled, but the remaining 102.2 million pounds were not.

Those delivering quality, chilled fish got bonuses of 10 percent to 13 percent. Had the rest of the harvest been chilled, it would have brought fishermen an additional $11 million to $12 million to harvesters, the association said. 

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Attorney General investigates allegations of lobster price-fixing

The state Attorney General's office issued summonses to three lobster dealers, part of what appears to be an investigation into allegations of price-fixing, focusing on Washington County dealers.

Three dealers confirmed that they received the summonses in November from the Attorney General, but spoke on the condition that they not be identified. All three dealers are from Washington County. 

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North Fork's big scallop harvest whets appetites

As edible commodities go, scallops and potatoes are about as different as can be, but as shellfish retailers learned this week, market rules for one often apply to the other. 

Fresh Peconic Bay scallops flooded North Fork seafood shops at the start of the commercial harvest in state-controlled waters on Nov. 4. It was a welcome sight for baymen, retailers and seafood lovers who were left with little more than fond memories when the brown tide blooms of the mid 1980s all but eliminated the much-prized shellfish.

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Seafood by the Roadside

Bubba John wants to sell you fresh seafood, but first he wants to know how your day is going. John Keesee, a.k.a. Bubba John, is a spirited entrepreneur with a smile as wide as the Gulf Coast, a work ethic as ironclad as a bullet-proof lock and a mind as inquisitive as a stray dog looking for scraps.
“How ya doin’ today?” asks Keesee. “Ya in the mood for some really good seafood? Take a look at these Alabama Wild Shrimp—you’ve never seen anything like ‘em.”
Keesee operates Bubba John’s Shrimp and Seafood, a pristine roadside seafood stand on the busy 135th street strip that spans from Olathe to the state line, just east of Mission Road. Keesee set up shop adjacent to a green-striped tent selling locally grown produce on May 1, and his reputation for being a purveyor of quality seafood spread like wildfire amongst savvy foodies and high-profile restaurateurs. 

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Committee for Branding Dare County Seafood Meets Thursday

The Committee for Branding Dare County Seafood meets Thursday, October 29, 7 p.m., room 168, Dare Administration Building.

Sustainable Island Living Conference 2009

The Island Institute invites you to join us for the second Sustainable Island Living Conference.

This three-day event will feature keynote talks, presentations, and group discussions around themes of local food systems, sustainable housing, renewable energy, and economic development.

Come to visit with residents from each of Maine's unbridged year-round island communities, to learn about sustainable resources available locally, and to hear from experts - local, regional, and national- about what we can do to ensure a more sustainable tomorrow.

Read "Sustainable Island Living Conference 2009"

I Love Farmers - They Feed My Soul

More and more of the fruits and vegetables, along with beef, pork and lamb are coming to America from countries that do not share our values for sustainably produced, wholesome and safe food. American family farmers operate in the most expensive, heavily regulated, closely watched farming environment in the world. They care about the environment, they care about their farm workers and they care about the consumers. In other countries this is not the case.

We love farmers. They feed our soul.

As young people we have an opportunity to make a difference in our world. Plus, we have an obligation to our future. If we do not make wise choices about where food in America comes from today, we will be become dependent on foreign sources of food tomorrow. That scares us. Look what happens when we depend on others for our oil. We fight wars and lose our friends.

Visit the I Love Farmers - They Feed My Soul website here

We can’t let that happen to our food. That is why we love farmers. They feed our soul. Because our family farmers are the most innovative and productive farmers in the world, we enjoy a wonderful lifestyle.

Fresh catch, net profits

Josh Stoll grew up in a fishing community in northern Maine and saw firsthand the beauty and frailty of an industry that lures generations of hopeful fishermen into its uncertain waters.

The Duke University graduate student knows that men and women who rely on the moody sea to make a living could, on any trip out, land a catch big enough to tide a family over for an entire season. Or they could reel in absolutely nothing.

So when Stoll landed at the Duke Marine Lab in Beaufort for a stint in environmental studies, he joined forces with a handful of others to develop the Walking Fish program. 

Read "Fresh catch, net profits"

State program adds market for Florida seafood suppliers

The Florida “Seafood to Schools” initiative has been established to bring seafood from local sources to the state’s school lunchrooms.

Read "State program adds market for Florida seafood suppliers"

The Faces of California Fishing

The Faces of California Fishing is a new initiative to promote the real stories and people behind California's fishing communities. Consumers can support them and get great quality fish by eating safe, fresh local seafood.

The Faces of California Fishing Website

Local seafood branding meeting Thursday, October 22

The Dare County Commission for Working Watermen will hold a Dare County seafood branding meeting at 7 p.m., October 22, Thursday, at the Dare County Administrative Building in Manteo.  Restaurant owners, chefs, fishermen, seafood dealers, business owners, and interested members of the public are encouraged to attend.

First Microbreweries, Now Micro-Canneries Flourish in NW

You’ve heard of micro-breweries. How about "micro-canneries?" They specialize in locally-caught, hand-packed albacore and salmon. A growing number of commercial fishing families are choosing to can their catch themselves. They can’t begin to compete with supermarket prices. But some of the custom-canned fish is reaching farmers markets, mail order catalogs, food co-ops, and the internet.

Read "First Microbreweries, Now Micro-Canneries Flouish in NW" 

 

Benefit-cost analysis vs economic impact analysis

Economic impact analysis (EIA) counts up money spent, taxes paid and jobs received and proposes that they are all benefits of some activity. Benefit-cost analysis (BCA) looks more carefully at that spending and recognizes that some spending is benefit, some is cost and that taxes are simply transfers. It compares benefits to costs to determine efficient policies. 

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Biotech Center loan helps ECU entrepreneur get noticed

Gabe Dough and his new company, Shure Foods, are creating a buzz in some North Carolina entrepreneurial circles.

Dough, an MBA student at East Carolina University, got a $30,000 low-interest company inception loan from the North Carolina Biotechnology Center to pursue his dream of commercializing a new way to process and sell the meat of swimming crabs such as the highly prized blue version frequently captured in North Carolina coastal waters.

Biotechnology is the use of living cells and their molecules to solve problems and make useful products. Shure Foods uses proprietary materials such as fibrinogen, thrombin, enzymes and proteins to tweak the texture and consistency of the fresh crab meat so it can be formulated into products such as medallions, nuggets or patties.

Read "Biotech Center loan helps ECU entrepreneur get noticed"

COMMITTEE FOR BRANDING DARE COUNTY SEAFOOD MEETS THURSDAY

The Committee for Branding Dare County Seafood meets Thursday, October 15, 7:00 p.m., at the Dare County Administrative Building, room 238.

Md. Seafood Fresh from the Web @ Foodtrader.org

COLLEGE PARK, Md. (October 8, 2009) -- Buying and selling local, Maryland seafood just got easier.

The University of Maryland Environmental Finance Center and the Maryland Department of Agriculture are working together to make a berth for local seafood on the Internet - at the University's virtual farmer's market, Foodtrader.org.

The website now accepts listings of local fish, crabs, oysters and similar products. This makes fresh seafood direct from watermen and aqua-farmers as easy as picking up the phone and placing an order.

http://somd.com/news/headlines/2009/10617.shtml

 

Seafood processors get funding to improve exports and diversify

Several Yarmouth County businesses and groups are among those in Nova Scotia's seafood industry to benefit from provincial funding that is aimed at helping to improve their competitiveness in the global marketplace.

Fisheries and Aquaculture Minister Sterling Belliveau announced on Oct. 8, $1.2 million in funding for seafood processors to be used to diversify markets, develop new products, improve productivity and product quality, and to meet consumer expectations about food sustainability.

The investment is part of $3.75 million in seafood industry funding provided through the Community Development Trust Fund.
 

Read "Seafood processors get funding to improve exports and diversify"

New venture for Eastmans

SEABROOK — Summer may be over, but business is still brisk at Eastman's Fish Market at Seabrook Beach. Even on a Tuesday in late September, co-owner Carolyn Eastman had a hard time fitting in an interview as a steady stream of customers came through the door during the afternoon.

"You've got a beautiful place here," remarked one patron who was trying to decide which of Eastman's local fish choices to take home for dinner.

Eastman and her husband, Ed, opened the fish market at 210 Ocean Blvd. this past June 6. Ed Eastman has been a commercial fisherman for 25 years, and Carolyn said they decided to open the business when they realized that the people who handled the fish after buying it from the fishermen were making twice as much income.

Read "New venture for Eastmans"

LA Shrimp Task Force plans to save industry

The Louisiana Shrimp Task Force was created to help the state's struggling shrimp industry. It says it has some ideas in the works that could help the vulnerable industry rebound and possibly save thousands of jobs.

Robert Barham is with the Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, but he also serves on the task force. He said the group is looking at possibly making changes to the state's inspection laws, especially when it comes to packaging shrimp, because re-packaging is a major problem. It can fool consumers and in a sense, steal from Louisiana shrimpers.

"Products that are from outside of Louisiana are being put in boxes that might lead you to believe it's from Louisiana," Barham said.

Barham said the task force plans to brand Louisiana shrimp. Florida has oranges, Wisconsin has cheese and Idaho has potatoes. Barham hopes Louisiana will be known for its shrimp.

Read "LA Shrimp Task Force plans to save industry"

Entrepreneur developing new crab-processing way

Gabe Dough wants to make Washington the “core” of America’s crabbing industry.

His ambitious plan starts with his upstart, biotechnology-based crabbing company, Shure Foods.

Through experimental work with the company, Dough has been using proprietary materials, such as enzymes and proteins, to tweak the consistency of raw blue-crab meat and bind it into medallions and patties.

The company’s extraction and manipulation process is designed to reduce the end cost of producing the delicate blue-crab meat, Dough said.

Read "Entrepreneur developing new crab-processing way"

 

Seafood market work set to begin

MELFA -- Construction of a state-owned central seafood marketing facility next to the Eastern Shore Farmers Market is set to begin within weeks after more than a decade of planning.

 Funding for the $5.4 million seafood market came through a bond issue approved by the General Assembly last year.

The nonprofit seafood market will follow a similar model as the farmer's market -- space will be leased to private shippers and brokers. Watermen also will be able to rent storage space on a per-package basis.

The idea to build a centralized seafood storage and shipping facility began 11 years ago when the Eastern Shore Marketing Cooperative board of directors, which is responsible for operating the farmer's market, decided watermen would benefit from a similar setup. The farmer's market, since it opened in 1993, has brokered more than $100 million in produce from local farms.   

Read "Seafood market work set to begin"

Swirl of global factors drives seafood prices

Alaska's abundant fisheries can make people forget our seafood industry is just one relatively small player in a very competitive world market. And factors driving fish prices occur far beyond the docks.

"Whether you're talking fish or crude oil or timber or minerals, people around the world are producing competing products and selling into the same markets. And they are working very aggressively -- as hard as we are -- to try and increase their share of those markets. So we are always affected by what our competitors are doing, and their ups and downs in supply," said Gunnar Knapp, a fisheries economist at the University of Alaska Anchorage.

Read "Swirl of global factors drives seafood prices"

NCWU Summary of For-Hire Economic Impact Study

The NCWU Board of Directors sent the results of the Economic Impact Study to State and County officials. The Study shows a significant amount of money earned by the For-Hire Charter/Headboat Fishing Fleet -

Seeing red: Crab company finds home in city

NEW BEDFORD — When Capt. John Brewer and the five crew members aboard the crab boat Krystle James tied up at the South Terminal Wednesday morning after an eight-day trip, they were enjoying a rare glimpse of land.

Once they finished unloading 70,000 pounds of red crab, the 83-foot boat was refueled and steamed out to the fishing grounds the following day to harvest more. "We fish them year-round from the Hague Line right down to Hatteras," Brewer said.

Found along the continental shelf, the Atlantic deep-sea red crab, the Chaceon quinquedens, is steadily gaining appreciation among consumers for its taste and texture. A product of the cold ocean depths, the crabs are taken in wire pots, baited with menhaden and set in water from 350 to 400 fathoms deep (2,100 to 2,400 feet).

Read "Seeing red: Crab company finds home in city"

Despite quota cuts, Pacific halibut prices slip

One major factor continuing to dog the Pacific halibut market is the steady decline in annual quotas; this year’s quota is set at 54.1 million pounds, down 10.4 percent from 60.4 million pounds in 2008 and 17.7 percent from 65.1 million pound quota in 2007.

As a result, U.S. Pacific halibut landings have dropped gradually each of the past five years, from 79.1 million pounds in 2004 to 47.3 million pounds in 2008. The numbers continue to fall, with 2009’s total catch, as of 17 September, at 34.5 million pounds. There are nearly two months left in the season.

Read "Despite quota cuts, Pacific halibut prices slip"

Students launch seafood program

Duke University students who organized Walking Fish, the region's first community-supported fishery, delivered their first shipment of fresh North Carolina fish to Durham-area shareholders Thursday.

Students from Duke's Nicholas School of the Environment were to distribute 400 shares -- or roughly 500 pounds -- of refrigerated, fresh-caught fish in the Sarah P. Duke Gardens parking lot on Anderson Street. The students teamed up with local fishermen in Carteret County to launch the project this summer.

"We hoped to sell 250 shares. We knew there was interest, but didn't realize just how much," said student organizer Joshua Stoll, a master of environmental management student at the Nicholas School. "It goes to show you how strong local support is for this type of initiative.

Read "Students launch seafood program"

Magwood Shrimpers Using the Web to Keep Business Afloat

Mount Pleasant, SC - C.A. Magwood Shrimpers has been in business on Shem Creek since 1971, mainly spreading its business by word of mouth. The business is now using the web to reach new customers to stay afloat during these tough economic times.

“We are educating people on what we do and how we get the shrimp and how fresh they are and if the captain is catching them or not that day,” explained C.A. Magwood Marina dock master, Jay Sewell.

Sewell says more business is already coming in the since the creation of the Facebook page a few weeks ago and website, which isn't even a week old.

Read "Magwood Shrimpers Using the Web to Keep Business Afloat"

Community-supported fisheries programs are catching on

Programs that dole out catch shares of fish are a hot button issue in the fishing industry, but here's one that everyone likes.

Community-supported fisheries programs (CSFs) sell catch shares to customers, entitling them to weekly or bi-weekly deliveries of a wide variety of locally caught fish and shellfish. The concept is modeled after "buy local" agriculture programs that have popped up all over the country. CSFs are already active throughout New England, but the concept has yet to head west. 

Read "Community-supported fisheries programs are catching on"

Trio of crabbers discuss their business

Although bound to a merciless tide clock directing what some observers fear is a dying North Carolina commercial fishing industry, crabbers Nathan King and brothers Joe and Sam Romano hardly stop smiling.

During a rare break between managing their fledgling Wilmington seafood market and the next high-tide crab run -- near noon on another scorching summer day -- the tired business partners talk shop at their Seaview Crab Company on Carolina Beach Road.

Rather than lament water pollution, low prices, declining seafood stocks and too many regulations -- constant industry stressors – the enthusiastic trio discusses new markets, their budding Web sector, and the next time, if ever, they can fish together.

Read "Trio of crabbers discuss their business"

Atlantic Canadian Food Industry Companies Return to North Carolina

As many as 12 Atlantic Canadian agri-food and seafood companies are expected to be in North Carolina September 14-18 to promote their world-class products to prospective customers.

With help from the federal and provincial governments, the goal of this mission is to help build trade relations with key buyers, high-end retailers, distributors and food service companies based in the Charlotte and Greensboro regions in North Carolina. 

Read "Atlantic Canadian Food Industry Companies Return to North Carolina"

Branding Dare County Seafood Meeting Sept. 17 in Rodanthe

The Dare County Seafood Branding Committee will meet Thursday, September 17, 7:00 p.m., at the Rodanthe Fire Station (classroom - 2nd floor) at 24297 NC Hwy. 12.  The public is encouraged to attend.

Fishing village at Honolulu's Pier 38 may soon be fully leased

Five prospective tenants, including Tsukiji Fish Market and Restaurant, have leased or are negotiating for all the remaining available space at the Pier 38 Domestic Commercial Fishing Village, also known as Honolulu Fishing Village.

The additions would finally produce a critical mass of activity in this central piece of Honolulu Harbor, where a few initial tenants, including two restaurants, have eked out an existence despite the relative obscurity of the still mostly industrial area.

"We don't want this to be a hidden gem," said Mike Formby, deputy director of the state Department of Transportation's Harbors Division. "Hopefully, within two years we will have an actual fishing village with a synergy to it."

Read "Fishing village at Honolulu's Pier 38 may soon be fully leased"

Industry group touts Chesapeake ray

The Virginia Marine Products Board began promoting the ray in 2006 after scientists said reducing its population could boost the oyster fishery.

The group that promotes the state's seafood industry believes the ray can work its way onto menus far and wide. They gave the fish a more palatable name -- Chesapeake ray -- and teamed with a Richmond chef to develop recipes.

Read "Industry group touts Chesapeake ray"

La. grocer embraces domestic shrimp

Even as Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal pledges to help the state’s ailing shrimp fishery, including ordering state agencies to buy domestic shrimp, one retailer is already working to boost sales of the product.

“This year, we are going to eliminate any foreign shrimp out of our stores,” Rick Heatherington, director of seafood merchandising and operations for Rouses Supermarkets, told SeafoodSource on Wednesday. The Thibodaux, La., company operates 34 stores in Louisiana and southern Mississippi. 

Read "La. grocer embraces domestic shrimp"

Mississippi catfish industry struggles

Jim Steeby, Extension fisheries specialist at the Thad Cochran National Warmwater Aquaculture Center in Stoneville, Miss., said increasing imports of catfish and whitefish such as tilapia are putting pressure on catfish sales.

“Growers in these countries, especially China, have low-cost labor, favorable currency rates and support from their governments. Their prices are well below those of our domestically produced catfish,” Steeby said. “But their production standards frequently lack integrity.”

The industry is trying to battle imports and establish U.S. farm-raised catfish as a superior product. Recent federal and state labeling laws now require catfish served in restaurants and sold at retail to have country of origin labels.

The industry is also addressing the issue of imports by attempting to move the catfish inspection program from the National Marine Fisheries Service to the U.S. Department of Agriculture

“Changing the inspecting agency to USDA will mean that imports must meet more stringent requirements for safety and quality,” Steeby said. “The problem with many food imports is that some products contain substances such as antibiotics that do not meet U.S. safety and health standards.”

Read "Mississippi catfish industry struggles"

Seafood Throw-Down at Rye Farmer's Market

“Even though we live in a fishing community we don’t necessarily understand how those headlines in the paper about fisheries management measures add up to what ends up on our plates,” says Gloucester MA resident and NAMA’s director, Niaz Dorry. “We think about where our tomato comes from, who grew it, how they grew it and how far it traveled before it ended up on our plates. We need to think the same way about your seafood.”

Their not-so-secret agenda is to promote support for the NH fishing industry and fishermen, while keeping economy here in NH, through Community Sustained Fisheries (CSF), Restaurants, Farmer's Markets and Seafood Markets.

"It doesn’t make sense to send NH fish out-of-state, only to be returned, one or two days later, paying more for fish that’s not as fresh. ” Buying sustainable, means purchasing fish in season and different fish, like pollock, hake, or cusk,” says Carolyn Eastman of Eastman’s Fish Market in Seabrook. “We try to elevate exposure and raise awareness of buying seafood locally.”

Read "Seafood Throw-Down at Rye Farmer's Market"

Processors go on defense, work congressional delegation

BATON ROUGE — Just days after commercial fishermen accused them of price fixing during a protest at the State Capitol, shrimp processors began meeting with members of Louisiana’s congressional delegation to tell their side of the story. 

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Food & Water Watch Supports Louisiana Shrimpers’ Call for Fair Prices on Domestic Shrimp

Baton Rouge, La. – Food & Water Watch, a national consumer advocacy group, today formally announced its support for Louisiana shrimpers, who are urging fair prices for domestic, wild-caught shrimp. Asserting that cheap imports are undercutting the prices received for their catch, nearly 300 shrimpers and Food & Water Watch protested at the state capitol in Baton Rouge.

Organizer Christina Lizzi of Food & Water Watch spoke at a rally last week, expressing solidarity with the shrimpers. “Both consumers and fishing communities benefit when local jobs in the fishery are maintained,” she said. “Consumers can get fresh wild-caught seafood, and shrimpers can earn a living.’

Read "Food & Water Watch Supports Louisiana Shrimpers’ Call for Fair Prices on Domestic Shrimp"