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Why We Should Insist on U.S.-Caught Seafood
Selling direct to consumer is temporary but buying local should continue
You know Dave Marciano from National Geographic’s Wicked Tuna. (And I’ve written about him before): To most of us in New England, he’s just a decent guy who goes tuna fishing and happens to be on TV.
TV is just a thing that happened for him, and he sees it as an opportunity to both help his business and do what he can to promote the importance of commercial fishing, American fishermen, and delicious seafood in the U.S.
Marciano is worried about the future of his business, regardless of the TV show. He depends on people visiting and traveling to Gloucester for his charter boat business. “I was a smoker for 40 years so that probably puts me in the high-risk category,” he says. And, despite being outside, being on a fishing vessel is pretty close quarters.
Many of us who work in the fishing industry are worried about a couple of months from now when the fishing season picks up, the weather warms, and visitors flock to the coast. Are the restaurants going to be able to open? Are people going to want to travel? Will people be spending money? Restaurants and tourism are outlets for products like Maine lobster and other seafood in the U.S. What is going to happen when all of the fishermen need to get back to work but there’s no place for the product to go and no mechanism to get it to where it needs to be?
Direct markets are temporary but buying local should continue
The outpouring of support from consumers to buy directly from fishermen during this weird time has been amazing. It has allowed many fishermen to cope with current circumstances. They are able to sell a small amount of volume to neighbors, friends, and community members to get by right now, but it’s important to note that this is not a permanent shift in how the fishing industry works. The fishing industry in Maine, Massachusetts, or any place on a U.S. coast is dependent on infrastructure to process, cut, ship, distribute, market, and sell…
