THE FLOATING CSA

Braddock Spear, Sustainable Ocean Project - The Midcoast Fishermen’s Cooperative is changing the way they do business with an eye toward sustainability of their livelihood and the resources on which they depend. . . Based out of Port Clyde, Maine, the co-op of 12 fishing vessels has developed an ocean-to-table program where the fishermen sell fish directly to their customers. The program, Port Clyde Fresh Catch, is modeled after the increasingly successful farm-to-table programs broadly called Community Supported Agriculture. Customers including local residents and restaurants subscribe to the Community Supported Fisheries by buying shares of the fishermen’s catch. Each week customers are guaranteed a predetermined poundage of fish or shellfish caught fresh from the Gulf of Maine. Fishermen gain from this arrangement by cutting out the middleman and getting more profit for their catch. Consumers benefit by receiving traceable wild-caught seafood at reduced prices. More