What is a community supported fishery? + why you should join one!
Community supported fisheries are one of the best ways to access sustainable seafood and support local fishermen.
Trust me, I know. The entire focus of my master’s thesis and other research that I did in grad school focussed on community supported fisheries.
As a result, I advocate a lot for these models. They’re a critical component of many small fishing communities and present a great economic opportunity for small-scale fishermen to remain viable in a world where consolidation has taken over much of the industry. Plus, they generally uphold sustainability values similar to mine, making me confident that my CSF purchases are protecting the ocean rather than harming it.
If you’ve ever wondered whether or not joining a community supported fishery is right for you, then keep reading! We’re going to dive more into what exactly a CSF is and what the benefits of joining one are.
Joining a community supported fishery (CSF) is one of the best ways to access high-quality, sustainable seafood while supporting local fishermen. Click To TweetWhat is a community supported fishery (CSF)?
A community supported fishery, or a CSF, is a direct-to-consumer seafood business modeled after community supported agriculture (CSA).
Essentially, consumers are purchasing seafood directly from fishermen. Usually, through a subscription model that requires an upfront financial commitment and guarantees a seafood delivery at regularly scheduled intervals. For example, you might sign up to a CSF at the beginning of the season and pay for the entirety of the season when you sign up. The amount you sign up with dictates how much seafood you get delivered monthly. (Keep scrolling to learn more about how the CSF sign up process works!)
This financial model is very beneficial for fishermen. It helps to insulate them from any market volatility and it guarantees them a certain price for their catch – which is often times more than what they would get if they sold their fish through more traditional outlets, since CSFs “cut out” the middleman. Rather than having to split their profits with processors and distributors, CSFs do everything themselves, allowing fishermen to earn more.
The financial model also provides stability to fishermen during unexpected interruptions such as during bad weather or, during a pandemic. While this means as a consumer, you might not always get the seafood that you want when you want it, it’s kind of the point. Part of the model is designed to encourage “eating with the ecosystem” and spreading some of the responsibility of food production to the consumer.
Why you should join a CSF
Now, as a consumer, you’re usually paying a premium to be part of a CSF, so what does that extra cost get you? Let’s chat a bit about some of the benefits of being a part of a community supported fishery.
Getting seafood from a community supported fishery gives you certainty about where your seafood is coming from. Global seafood supply chains are MESSSSY. On average, your fish will switch hands seven different times before it ends up on your plate. This is how things like mislabelling occur. With a CSF, you don’t have to worry about that because you’re buying straight from the source.
When you buy from a CSF, you’re also getting access to seafood that isn’t always available elsewhere. A lot of that premium price you pay to be part of a CSF is because you’re getting the creme de la creme of seafood. Seafood that’s generally higher quality and nearly impossible to find at a big box grocery store.
Many of the recipes on this website were created using seafood from Canadian CSFs!
One of the main reasons that I first joined a CSF is because you’re getting a more sustainable seafood product. CSFs massively reduced the carbon footprint of the seafood industry since CSFs promote local, place-based consumption and aren’t sending seafood on a long journey around the world. There’s also evidence to suggest CSFs help the environment in other ways. For example, by reducing bycatch. CSFs allow fishermen to create a market for locally abundant species that are often thrown away as bycatch because there’s not a market for them. Being part of a CSF means eating with the ecosystem – whatever that may be! This is a win for us too, because it usually means CSF subscribers get to try some unique seafood species you may have never tried before!
Finally, you get to feel good about supporting your community. At the end of the day, CSFs provide a lot of economic stability for fishermen and help to preserve the integrity of local fishing communities. Who doesn’t want to be part of that?
How to join a CSF
To find a community supported fishery, head to the Local Catch Seafood Finder. The Local Catch Network is an organization of 200+ CSFs from across North America! All of their members can be found using the Seafood Finder map.
And yes, you can be part of a CSF even if you don’t live on the coast! I don’t live on a coast and I buy almost all of my seafood from a CSF.
Many community supported fisheries today offer different shipping options, sometimes across state or even nation-wide, making it easier than ever to access high quality, sustainable seafood.
It’s worth noting that the CSF model has evolved over the years, especially following the interruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. In fact, this evolution was a major focus of my graduate research. While traditional models required upfront payments to lock in your shares for the season and regularly scheduled deliveries of whatever fish was available, some CSFs have evolved to include different components. Today, some CSFs offer online a-la-carte ordering, eliminating the upfront costs and subscription model all together. Many have introduced shipping options in addition to dockside sales in order to increase the number of customers they can reach.
Regardless of what the actual logistics of getting your seafood look like, buying directly from the source is always one of the best things you can do when it comes to seafood!
