Community supported agriculture – CSA – is a movement with deepening roots in this country, particularly in places where farms are threatened, where people have difficulty getting fresh produce, where land is expensive – or anywhere, where people are concerned about the connection between the natural environment and their food.
More recently we’ve seen growth in a parallel community effort: community supported fisheries (WWF July 2008), in which a cooperative or other small group buys fresh fish and markets it to its own members, through churches or other groups, or even to the general public. The goals of community supported fisheries (CSF) are similar to those of community supported agriculture: help fishermen, promote sustainable practices, provide really fresh fish to consumers. By the looks of things (the number of people picking up fish and shrimp in a Rockland parking lot in recent months, at least) the enterprise is thriving.
The CSF effort we reported on last month is the brainchild of a diverse group that includes the Midcoast Fishermen’s Association, the First Universalist Church in Rockland, the North Atlantic Marine Alliance, the Maine Council of Churches and the Island Institute, each of which is contributing something to what can be a fairly complex effort. The best hope for the longevity of the Midcoast CSF will lie in its ability to “brand” and promote itself as an excellent source of fresh fish, sustainably harvested by fishermen using boats and gear of appropriate size and design, fishing in a manner that protects stocks for the future.