Jarod Bray wants customers to buy his lobsters and save the world.
Bray, age 25, and his father, Joe, fish the waters surrounding Matinicus. They launched Eco Lobster Catch in November.
“It seems like our whole county is going green. I wanted to push the envelope,” said Bray.
He said Eco Lobster Catch makes lobstering as environmentally-friendly as possible. It also furthers the “trap to table” catch shares concept pioneered by Catch a Piece of Maine in Cape Elizabeth. On top of that, Eco Lobster Catch offers a No Impact Trap, which gives customers the promise that the trap will not be fished for a specific amount of time.
The Brays power their lobster boats with biodiesel, package their lobsters with biodegradable or compostable shipping materials, purchase carbon offsets for the CO2 produced by overnight shipping, use biodegradable gear oil for their transmissions and hydraulics and run their website through AISO.net, a Palm Desert Valley webhost that brags of “solar powered, environmentally friendly, green web hosting.”
The biodiesel comes from Harvest Energy Maine in Rockport. “It’s just more eco-friendly,” said Bray. He purchases in bulk from the company and keeps it in Owl’s Head, where he fuels up and buys bait. The blend of biofuel and petroleum requires no modification to the boats’ engines. “It goes right into the boat. It could go in anybody’s boat,” said Bray.
Bray makes his own shipping boxes using biodegradable materials, including compostable foam. The only exceptions are the icepacks “which are non-toxic and reusable,” said Bray.
Members purchase a full year, half year or one month share entitling them to the trap’s catch for that period of time. Eco Lobster Catch guarantees at least 52 lobsters for a full share and 26 for a half.
The price, $1,350 for a half share and $2,695 for a full share, includes shipping and an opportunity to go out on the boat.
Eco Lobster Catch emphasizes the sustainable fishing practices that Maine lobstermen follow. “It speaks for itself. We use the measure size [returning undersized and oversized lobsters] and have a big broodstock. A big percent are already v-notched. We maintain our own industry,” said Bray.
But the No Impact Trap “takes it to a new level,” said Bray.
Those who are concerned about overfishing of herring, a widely-used baitfish, or about the entanglement of endangered North Atlantic right whales in fishing gear, can purchase a No Impact Trap. In return, Eco Lobster Catch sends a certificate pledging not to fish that trap, as well as the trap’s required identification tag. Customers may also receive the trap and buoy.
A No Impact Trap is $650 for a full year or $350 for a half.
Sponsorship of a No Impact Trap reduces a lobsterman’s carbon footprint by reducing fuel usage. It also reduces the amount of bait used and reduces the risk of whale entanglement.
“I love lobstering. I’m not trying to get out of it; I’m just making it more eco-friendly,” he said.
Bray grew up on Matinicus and his family’s roots on the island extend back many generations. His father and both of his grandfathers are lobstermen.
“Lobstering is the only thing keeping Matinicus going,” said Bray. “There’s a Post Office and a little school. Both of those would be gone without lobstering. If lobstering left, the community would die.”
Bray says the target audience is “anyone concerned with the environment.”
So far, Eco Lobster Catch hasn’t sold any traps, but it will be represented at the Maine Lobster Festival in Rockland and the Los Angeles Lobster Festival. Bray says he’s looking forward to the trip. “California’s whole philosophy is green,” he said.
He plans to advertise, and he’s been promoting Eco Lobster Catch through the Web and through social networking sites. “That’s how everybody gets in touch now,” he said. “I had to get pushed into it, but it’s a way to talk to a huge array of people.”
He thinks lobstermen can market their own lobster on a small scale while working together to market Maine lobster on a larger scale. “Maine needs to do a better job marketing Maine lobster too. That would be helpful,” said Bray.
Bray hopes Eco Lobster Catch will help him preserve a way of life he loves. “There are not too many other jobs left where you can do what I’m doing. I’m my own boss; I’m on the water. I love it. The harder you work, the more you’re going to be rewarded for it.”
Hanna Wheeler is the outreach coordinator for the Maine Lobstermen’s Association. This story appeared in the association’s June newsletter.