In the past I’ve written about overfishing and how a computer application in Italy was working to ensure that fishermen were connected with consumers, so that none of their catch would go to waste. Now a small fishing village in Maine is taking a low-tech spin on this idea of connecting potential buyers to the caught fish using the CSA (Community-Supported Agriculture) method.
In Port Clyde, fishing is a way of life — everyone is connected in some way to the industry. So when government regulations and overfishing began affecting the village’s livelihood, the fishermen decided to take matters into their own hands and began their own Community-Supported Fisheries (CSFs). In the CSFs, as in CSAs, customers pay a predetermined amount each week (or month) and receive a certain amount of food in return. To keep costs down the Port Clyde Cooperative began processing, packaging, and delivering their catch to CSF members, restaurants, and farmers’ markets.
Having customers sign up for orders in advance ensures that the fishermen are only catching what they know they can sell, meaning less fish are being wasted. And hopefully the CSF model can further follow the CSA model which provides customers with whatever produce happens to be in season or has a particularly good harvest. This requires customers to be more flexible and adventurous in their eating habits as they may wind up with vegetables they’re not familiar with. Perhaps CSF customers will be more willing to break away from the popular overfished seafood choices and try more abundant options.
Story via Change.org
