Cleveland-Based Fishmongers Look To Lake Erie To Boost Local Food Production

Brothers Jim and John Catanese are self-described “fishmongers.” As owners of the Flats-based Catanese Classic Seafood they connect restaurants, retailers and fish lovers across a tri-state region to seafood from around the globe.
 
Now, the brothers are on the verge of increasing the volume of Lake Erie fish they buy from virtually nothing to six semi-truck trailers’ worth annually. It was an infrastructure investment the brothers made to avoid a potential disaster that made this latest expansion of their business and push into the local foods movement possible.
 
The Catanese brothers recently reached agreements to purchase the entire catches of two local fishing crews that scour Lake Erie from May to November. John Catanese, vice president and co-owner, expects the arrangement to produce more than 600,000 pounds of yellow perch alone next year — not to mention an additional 8 jobs.
 
“It will be a game changer for us,” he said.

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