From Boat To Plate: Community-Supported Fisheries Riding A Swell

What began here two years ago as a booster for beleaguered fishermen, Cape Ann Fresh Catch is now a million-dollar baby, with more than 1,000 customers from Needham to Lincoln, Sharon, Lowell and Boston.

The cooperative, modeled on the trend of community-supported agriculture, is a program of the 42-year-old Gloucester Fishermen's Wives Association. The goal was not just to provide a bigger market for local fishermen, but spread awareness of the many types of local fish, felicitous from fin to fork.

A recent survey of customers — sharemembers, to be exact — seems to show the outreach effort is working.

Joining the coop, said one member, forced her to try new fish. "I'd never even heard of dabs," i.e., small flounder. "It was delicious!"

To read the rest of the story, please go to: Gloucester Times