By Angeljean Chiaramida
SEABROOK — Yankee Fisherman's Coop is making an important move that could have freshly caught Gulf of Maine fish going from the fishing boat directly to your refrigerator and table.
The move corresponds to that of local farmers, bakers, food processors and dairy producers who use farmers' markets and other outlets to encourage the region's consumers to buy locally grown and made food and keep these traditional industries alive.
The 61 members of the Yankee Coop hailing from Newburyport, Seabrook and other local and New Hampshire communities believe if fish lovers eat freshly caught Gulf of Maine shrimp, lobster, cod, haddock, pollock and flounder, they'll like what they taste and become regular consumers. The move into retailing if successful could make a big difference in keeping alive the historic commercial fishing fleet after decades of stress and federal regulations have driven scores of fishermen ashore.
According to Bob Campbell, manager of the Yankee Fisherman's Coop located on Seabrook Harbor, many local residents have known they can purchase freshly harvested, wild Gulf of Maine shrimp at the Coop almost daily when shrimpers bring in their catch about 5 p.m. after a day at sea. But the latest endeavor will put locally caught shrimp and lobsters at two nearby indoor winter farmers markets.
"With the help of Ken LaValley from New Hampshire Sea Grant, we handed out surveys at the local indoor farmers markets asking people there if they'd like an opportunity to buy fresh, locally caught lobster and shrimp at the market," Campbell said. "The response was overwhelmingly positive. So we're going to be at the markets in Exeter and Stratham over the next two months."
Campbell said the Coop's first venture into the retail sale of its fishermen's fresh shellfish will be on Saturday, Feb. 7, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Congregational Church in Exeter, and the same hours on Saturday, March 7, at Stratham Town Hall.
This is the beginning of the Coop's move to sell their Gulf of Maine shell and groundfish harvest locally, instead of shipping it to out of state to wholesale fish markets in Boston, Gloucester and Portland, Maine.
"We're trying to supply locally caught product on a retail basis here, just as local farmers do," Campbell said. "Most shrimp purchased in the grocery stores are not native, they're frozen, and most are farmed, not wild. The taste of wild fish and farmed fish is miles apart. Wild fish tastes better, and it doesn't have any of the chemicals introduced in farmed fish."
Campbell said the shellfish sold at the upcoming farmers markets will also be less expensive than similar shrimp found in the supermarkets, which currently sell the 40-shrimp-per-pound-sized shrimp for about $3 to $4 a pound.
But this isn't the only new avenue the Coop is pursuing. The Coop's move into retail sales could also inject new revenues and life into the local fishing industry.
Campbell said he and LaValley visited Port Clyde, Maine, where professional fisherman there have had considerable success selling their catch to the local fish-eating public and gaining loyalty.
Campbell would like to begin making inroads into getting the Coop's Gulf of Maine catch into local supermarkets, where it can be processed into fish filets and steaks and sold to the public, as well as offering shrimp and lobsters. Coop fishermen would also love to see their Gulf of Maine fish featured as specials on the menu of local restaurants.
Another avenue being pursued is pre-selling shares in the catch directly to consumers, Campbell said.
"The way that works is you'd prepay us an amount, and we'll put together a 20-pound package of the catch. Whatever it might be, shrimp, cod, haddock, lobster, whatever the catch is," Campbell said. "We get paid upfront, and people get the freshest product possible. For those who know how to filet (fish), this could work out very well."
Those interested in buying shrimp from the Coop now, or in any of the other retail options in this article, should call Campbell at the Yankee Fisherman's Coop at 603-474-9850.
