Community Supported Fishery: A CSA For Fish!

Do you know your fishermen?

We know most of you are probably thinking about turkey rather than fish this week, but a recent article in YES! Magazine about Community Supported Fishery (CSF) was so interesting that we just had to share. Plus, now is a good time to start thinking about signing up for 2011.

Based on the successful CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) model, CSFs consist of members who provide financial support to fishermen and in turn receive a share of the catch on a regular basis. CSFs are helping to foster relationships, strengthen local economies, and promote sustainable fishing practices. According to YES! Magazine's Ellen Tyler and Daniel Fireside:

Most CSFs deliver whole fish in season, so customers experience variety and seasonality. Fishermen are paid a flat rate per season, rather than being paid only for the number of fish they catch. This encourages them to diversify their catch and fish according to the demands of the ecosystem, rather than to maximize sales.

The first known CSF started in Port Clyde, Maine, and there are about 20 others in the US and Canada. Have you ever been involved with a CSF?

Learn more:
• Boat-to-Table Fishing CSAs Catching On (YES! Magazine)
• Community Supported Fishery (NAMA)
• List of CSFs in the US and Canada (NAMA)

(Image: Skipper Otto's Community Supported Fishery in Vancouver)

Comments (5)

I was involved with my first CSF this past summer. Unfortunately I never got any fish because our fisherman only caught some one week and we weren't in town that week! I was a little disappointed, but this was a new thing for our area so they're still working out the kinks.

We subscribed to a CSF in the Boston area this summer and I have to say it was the most amazing fish I have ever eaten! It was also a great way for a few midwesterners to practice cooking fish often enough to get good at it. Our CSF is currently doing a fall/winter season if anyone is interested www.capeannfreshcatch.org

I don't belong to a CSF but do get all of my fish from a local fisherman that goes to various farmer's markets around the area. More expensive but worth it, in my opinion. It forces us to eat fish that we wouldn't normally eat instead of focusing on the overfished species that are commonly found in grocery stores.

i have subscribed to the CSF in port clyde several times. it rocks. shrimp in the winter, fish in the summer. i once did it with whole fish, but now prefer to choose the pre-filleted option. it saves time. it is SO important to know where your seafood comes from--Maine and Alaska tend to be good domestic options--just as important as knowing who is your farmer and what methods she uses to produce your food. thanks for focusing on the CSF!

We joined a CSF out of Gloucester, MA a year and a half ago. It's wonderful to get fresh local fish year round.

Aside from all the good reasons to eat fresh local fish, the CSF's are good for area fishermen and their families. The CSF enables them to stay closer to home and even to not go out when the weather is very bad.

Sure, once in a while, this meant no fish that week, but we were very glad to be able to make the lives of local families easier.

We love the win-win of this set-up.

One thing I will say about both CSAs and CSFs - they get better as time goes one. There are always glitches in the first year or two but our experience is that it's worth being patient, giving helpful feedback and sticking with them while they iron out the start-up problems.