Newburyport-Today stopped by the Parking lot next to the Chamber on Friday to pick up our Fresh Catch of the week. We weren’t fishing off the public docks, we were handed off two whole cods out of the back of a truck, and no we weren’t worried at all! We are one of about 80 families who are participating in the Cape Ann Fresh Catch CSF. “A CSF reconnects people to the ocean that sustains them and builds a rewarding relationship between fishermen and shareholders.” The short of that long is that we get fresh fish weekly, and get to get them directly from the fisherman that fish our local waterways. The CSF is a cooperative effort brought to you by the Gloucester Fishermen’s Wives Association (GFWA), MIT SeaGrant and the Northwest Atlantic Marine Alliance, Cape Ann Fresh Catch (CAFC).
The CSF connects people directly to the fisherman in a way that is lost when you stop by a fish counter at a supermarket. This direct connection helps people see where there food comes from and allows fisherman the opportunity to fish locally using less resources that is in turn more environmentally friendly. It’s a connection that we were happy to whiteness in person as folks lined up to pick up their fish for the first week.
Participating families can buy a full or a 1/2 share for the 12 week program that stated last Friday (folks still interested can still sign up for a pro-rated plan). This fish will vary week to week according to availability for the first week, the catch was Cod. Full share’s received two 4-5 lb fish and half share’s received one. The fish were “gutted and gilled” but the filleting was up to the shareholders.
Some seemed more enthusiastic about getting the whole fish than others! There was lots of advice on the website about how to fillet the fish, and in addition folks were invited to Hana Japan for a filleting lesson. Shareholders need only to show up between 9 and 10 on Saturday mornings and a cutting board, knife, and expert help will be provided.
Please check back with Newburyport Today on Friday to see our latest What’s for Dinner where we will share what we made with our Cod.
