An Overview Of Our Solution
Community Supported Fisheries
Who is this solution impacting?
Ecosystem
Oceans/Coasts
Community Type
Rural
Additional Information
- Population Impacted:
- Continent: North America
Problem
Describe the problem
Community Supported Fisheries allow us to have a conversation with seafood consumers about the entire food-supply-chain process of what swims in the ocean to what lands on our plates. By creating transparency around our seafood production processes, CSFs help define the importance of local food sources by emphasizing sustainable fishery practices; encouraging environmental sensitivity among fishermen; ensuring higher quality processing standards; providing a direct-to-consumer, low-carbon foot-print; and ultimately, a competitively-priced, higher quality seafood experience for the consumer. CSFs encourage an ethic of ecological stewardship; increase the viability of traditional coastal communities; and, cultivate ties and establish bonds between fishermen and consumers.
Biodiversity Impact
Not a day goes by that we don't hear about overfishing. Demand for more fish is putting species at risk. But not all this demand is necessary. Traditionally, fishermen have been relying on catching large volumes of fish, sorting through it for the most valuable ones, and throwing the others overboard already dead. By allowing fishermen to get paid a fair price that meets their real cost of productions, CSFs already reduce the pressure on the ocean. In addition, CSFs can and should be designed to encourage fishermen to keep their whole catch. The concept is to deliver whatever fishermen catch to the consumers and educate the consumer how to prepare a variety of seafood not just a few we are conditioned to buy. A fisherman's whole catch has value in a CSF, not just a few animals. This will reduce if not eliminate high grading. Furthermore, but taking the focus away from relying on volumes of fish to make ends meet fishermen's focus changes to quality not quantity. We are noticing that as fishermen who are participating in CSFs are getting to know their consumers more and more, they increase their attention about how they fish and their overall footprint on the marine environment. The positive reinforcement from the consumers gives them a sense of pride in their work making them work harder at keeping the consumers' trust not at fishing harder. And by being open to whatever the fishermen catch, consumers begin to respect the ocean for the ecosystem that it is rather than a body of water that magically pops out certain species of fish like cod, haddock, flounder and tuna.
Solution
The demand for ƒ??any seafood, any time,ƒ? built rapidly over the past century. Means of preserving and transporting fresh and processed seafood to distant markets grew while the recipients went unaware of the ecological consequences. This gave rise to fleets of industrial-scale fishing boats and gear that can roam the worldƒ??s oceans in search of new populations of fish. But all that has occurred at the expense of the web of sealife, and the security, safety and quality of seafood on our plates. Out-paced, out-spent and out-marketed, small community-based fishing operations suffered, and, as this growth took hold, fishery after fishery collapsed. Thus, we have learned just as we did with our land-based food system, that sustainability starts with the scale of operation and where the fishermen are fishing, and who actually fishes. We now know, for example, that supporting local farms that donƒ??t have the organic label is important because their scale and operational choices make them even more sustainable and important to our terrestrial biodiversity, our food system and local communities. We are now facing that same fork in the road with our marine-based food systems. Agribusiness models that transformed our farmlands and farming communities are taking over fisheries undermining marine biodiversity. CSFs can begin to shift the paradigm. // Currently, CSFs are operating in over 20 communities in North America. A website we recently launched - www.localcatch.org - lists some of these communities. We are working to incorporate the rest into the website. Our goal is to provide enough resources online and enough expertise in house to be able to assist fishing communities anywhere - virtually or otherwise - in thinking through and implementing the concept of Community Supported Fisheries and adapting it to their unique communities, ecosystems, food systems, fisheries and economies.
Replicability
How many years has your solution been applied? 4 years // Have others reproduced your solution elsewhere? Yes // With input from currently operating CSFS, we have developed a draft set of principles and best practices for Community Supported Fisheries. We have also developed a financial forecasting tool that allows CSFs to plan and stay financially viable. With the help of our staff and two volunteers that manage our localcatch.org site, we want to train communities in using these tools and implementing the best practices. We have surveys and matrix that are designed to measure the success of implementing the best practices, troubleshoot and overcome challenges. We are planning for a winter 2012 conference of all operating CSFs to train them on these best practices and financial forecasting tool, and enable them to measure their success effectively. Our plan is to hold this conference annually and stay in touch with CSFs between the conferences to make sure they are meeting their goals, overcoming their challenges and getting the support they need.
Human Well Being and Livelihood Impact
Fishing communities and seafood consumers anywhere can be impacted by our solution. Currently, the communities we have assisted in setting up CSFs are benefiting and the numbers are probably in the 100,000s. It has been reported that fishermen participating in CSFs are getting paid more than the traditional market - in some communities as much as 30% more - without having to catch more fish. This takes the focus away from fishing for volume, essential to allowing fishery rebuilding efforts. Consumers are getting fresh, locally caught seafood within hours of being caught at prices that are sometimes below the traditional market, particularly when receiving whole, round finfish. In some urban communities with high rates of immigrants or low income families, we are seeing a rise in participation in CSFs by those families as getting whole fish allows many immigrant families to eat a diet closer to their traditional ones at prices they can afford. By providing whole fish or even fresh filleted seafood we are improving the quality and nutrition level of the food consumed in communities. // CSFs by definition is community driven. Fishermen are a critical part of the model, but so are the other aspects of the community that allows the fish to be landed and delivered to the consumers. And, the consumer has a direct line to those who catch their seafood. Part of our focus has been to ensure community organizations are "owning" CSFS. They manage the project with input from the fishermen participating in the given CSF. We are there as a resource. Sometimes we are involved in the creation of a CSF more than other times. The level and length of our involvement depends on the needs of the community. Our goal is to leave the community self sufficient so they can manage the project as a long term, economically and ecologically sustainable business.