Northshore magazine showcases the best that the North Shore of Boston, MA has to offer.
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NORTHSHOREMAG.COM 56 JUNE + JULY 2020 I N - D E P T H How the fishing industry in Gloucester is responding to the COV ID-19 crisis. BY SARAH SHEMKUS FISHING DURING PANDEMIC PHOTOGRAPHS BY DOUG LEVY For the past few years, second- generation Gloucester fisherman B.G. Brown has been selling much of his catch to a major food retailer, earning higher-than- average prices because of his commitment to sustainable fishing techniques. Then the coronavirus hit. "You have to weigh it out: Is it worth going out for these super-low prices, or do you just tie the boat up?" he muses. "It's a hard call right now." Gloucester has been a fishing town since its founding in the early 1620s, and the industry was the backbone of the local economy well into the 20th century. In recent decades, however, the industry has struggled as it grapples with regulations designed to prevent over-fishing and limit environmental damages. Many fishermen with long family histories in the business have had to turn to new professions, and the city's fishing fleet has declined significantly since its peak. When the COVID-19 pandemic emerged, the situation became even worse. Government mandates and public health recommendations closed the doors of many restaurants, where the vast majority of the seafood consumed in the United States is eaten. In 2017, about 68 percent of the money Americans spent on seafood—some $70 billion—was at restaurants, according to a report from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. But now, with diners staying home, demand has dropped and prices have plummeted as well. "Overall, we're seeing this shutdown of the seafood supply chain that's having a devastating impact," says Brett Tolley, national program coordinator for the Northwest Atlantic Marine Alliance. The one bright spot in the market is the success of alternate business models that connect consumers directly with locally caught fish, keeping the product fresher and putting fewer middlemen between fishermen and seafood lovers. Cape Ann Fresh Catch, based in Gloucester, is one of the country's first community- supported fisheries, a model in which buyers sign up—and pay—for weekly deliveries of whatever fish is biting. The goal is to provide fishermen a measure of predictable, stable income while creating a market for whatever they catch. In recent weeks, demand is way, way up, says Donna Marshall, one of the founders of the organization and the outgoing executive director. "Home deliveries have quadrupled," she says. "My program is booming." With shoppers staying home, Brown's main customer had to lower the prices it paid and eventually cut back on how much fish it could take. Now he has to sell his catch at regular market prices, which have dropped so low that every fishing trip requires a careful calculation, Brown says. Gloucester fisherman B.G. Brown